JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven Fulop announced that a new, widely diverse class of Jersey City Police Department recruits – the second in six months – entered the Police Academy this week, increasing the force to 845 members. Among both of the new classes, ten languages are spoken, including English, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Arabic, Urdu, Polish, Swahili, Bengali and Vietnamese.
The 40-member class includes two African American officers, both of whom are female, 19 Hispanic officers and six officers of Middle Eastern or Asian descent, as well as two additional female officers.
“We have made a commitment to adding more police officers and to diversifying the force,” said Mayor Fulop. “We want our police to not only protect our communities, but to also reflect them. These new officers will increase police presence and truly represent the communities they serve.”
The class will graduate in June in time for summer, a traditionally busy time for police. The new officers will join another class of new officers who graduated in December. The latest class, along with transfers from other law-enforcement agencies, brings to near 80 the number of new officers recruited since Mayor Fulop took office July 1.
Increasing diversity in the Police Department is a top priority for Mayor Fulop. The class that graduated Dec. 12 included 21 new Hispanic officers, including three women, along with three African Americans – two men and a women – and three officers of Asian or Middle Eastern heritage.
Mayor Fulop has also ordered a series of changes in keeping with the Mayor’s commitment to smarter policing and safer streets. Veteran officers have been reassigned as needed throughout the city and programs such as the Neighborhood Walking Patrols and other high-visibility deployments have been redesigned and emphasized.
The Mayor’s Office and the Public Safety Department are also leveraging the best available technology to deploy police.
“We are committed to putting as many new cops on the street as possible and to deploy them where they are most needed,” said Public Safety Director James Shea. “We are continuing to improve public safety while also targeting quality of life issues every day.”
After graduation, the new recruits will be partnered with experienced officers for on-the-job training. The class that graduated in December was immediately assigned to augment patrols in busy shopping areas over the holidays. Those new officers are also assisting with security for the upcoming Super Bowl before being assigned to one of the City’s four police districts.
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