HOBOKEN—Police Lieutenant Kenneth F. Ferrante will be the next chief of the Hoboken Police Department starting December 1, 2014, the administration of Mayor Dawn Zimmer announced Monday. Ferrante will replace Edelmiro “Eddie” Garcia, who was appointed provisional Police Chief on July 1 following the retirement of former Chief Anthony Falco.
Ferrante has more than 21 years of experience as a police officer, including 11 years of experience as a supervisor. Since 2013, he has served as the Coordinator of the Office of Emergency Management. His past assignments included serving as South Hoboken Commander of the Hurricane Sandy operation, Southeast Hoboken Commander of the Hurricane Irene Operation, and Waterfront Commander of several of Macy’s 4th of July fireworks displays.
According to the city, Ferrante’s plans for the Police Department include establishing a waterfront/parks division, enhancing police training, including community sensitivity training, addressing homelessness, allowing residents to file online reports, embracing social media to communicate with the public, restoring bicycle patrols, and creating the position of Identify Theft Officer to address one of the fastest-growing crimes in America.
The city considered and interviewed three candidates; Ferrante, Garcia, and Captain Tory Pasculli. Ferrante had the second highest score in the civil service examination for the chief position after Pasculli.
If selected, Garcia would have been eligible to work only three more years due to state-mandated retirement rules for police officers.
“It was a very difficult choice, and Hoboken was lucky to have three outstanding candidates for the position,” said Zimmer. “I thank Chief Garcia and Captain Pasculli for their willingness to serve, and I congratulate Lieutenant Ferrante on his appointment and look forward to working with him as our new chief. On behalf of the citizens of Hoboken, I thank Chief Garcia for his lifelong commitment to the City of Hoboken and for leading our Police Department through this transition.”
In a letter to Mayor Zimmer, Chief Garcia expressed his deepest gratitude for the opportunity to serve as provisional Chief of Police. “It has been both an honor and a privilege to serve in this capacity,” said Chief Garcia.
Mr. Ferrante has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from New Jersey City University. He graduated as a Presidential Scholar from Saint Peter’s Preparatory School in 1990 and coached football there for 12 seasons. He has received multiple awards for his service, including the Combat Cross, two Honorable Service awards, and two Exceptional Duty awards.
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