HOBOKEN – Mayor Dawn Zimmer has appointed two new directors to her administration, hiring a new public safety director and an acting director of environmental services.
Jon Tooke was appointed as the new public safety director, replacing Angel Alicea, who resigned in April.
Alicea was paid approximately $27,000, much less than the average director, who earns approximately $103,000.
An audit of the police department recommended eliminating the public safety director position last year. The public safety director serves as a liaison between the administration and the public safety departments.
Tooke’s contract and appointment will go before the City Council for their approval at the Sept. 7 meeting.
“Jon is a true professional who will bring to Hoboken nearly 30 years experience in the Jersey [City] Police Department, which he helped modernize through professional development and the implementation of technologies like COMPSTAT,” Zimmer said in a release. “As Patrol Bureau Commander, he ran the largest bureau in the JCPD and was responsible for staffing and deploying more than 600 employees with a focus on professionalism, service to the community and efficiency. He has more than 20 years experience as a law enforcement instructor, including an FBI-run training program for police leadership and management.”
One police source said Tooke’s resume is “impeccable.”
Zimmer also appointed Leslie Shenkler as the acting Director of Environmental Services.
Shenkler, a veteran who served in the US Army Corps of Engineer, has 10 years of experience serving as Borough Administrator for the Boroughs of Rutherford and Allendale, and previously served as Director of the General Services Division for Bergen County for 10 years. – Ray Smith