HOBOKEN – In a joint statement Friday, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer and Police Chief Kenneth Ferrante expressed their sympathies for Matthew Genovese’s family following the discovery of the 24-year-old’s body earlier this week and said measures are being taken to help prevent future incidents.
The body of the Bronx native was recovered from the Hudson River on Tuesday, Jan. 26 around 1 p.m. by the New York Harbor patrol after he was last seen on Saturday following a night out with friends. Genovese’s keys and wallet (with credit cards and cash) were found by police in a snow pile 150 feet from the waterfront Monday.
On Saturday, according to friends, he left the bar they were at to walk home, a walk of a few blocks to the northwest. Instead, he apparently headed east, four blocks to the river.
His family reported him missing on Monday, Jan. 25 when he did not show up to his job on Wall Street in New York City but the search ended tragically on Tuesday.
The mayor and chief say in the statement that “while this particular case remains under investigation, it is important to understand that in this case and in all past cases of entry into the Hudson River from Hoboken over the years, there have been no indications of foul play in any instance. Every case has been determined to be accidental or voluntary entries into the river.”
The statement doesn’t say whether Genovese had a history of depression or was distraught that night. When asked those questions by reporters, Chief Ferrante only said there were no visible signs of foul play on his body when he was discovered.
“It is also important for the public to understand that the security cameras, which were operational when Matthew went missing, are intended to help the police investigate what has occurred after the fact,” the statement says. “While the cameras can help with an investigation, the cameras unfortunately cannot save lives.”
Still, the city plans to conduct a review of the camera system to determine where additional cameras might be appropriate and helpful for future investigations.
Among Chief Ferrante’s first enterprises when taking the post in Dec. 2014 was to create the Waterfront and Parks Unit following the death of Andrew Jarzyk. Ferrante was working when the call came in two years ago in March of 2014, that the 27-year-old Hoboken resident disappeared after drinking with friends at a Hoboken bar/restaurant on a stormy Saturday night. A month later, his body was found floating in the river near the Hoboken train terminal.
Ferrante told the Reporter in mid-January that the city recently installed eight cameras along the waterfront near Pier A, Pier C and uptown and a patrol unit combs the area 24/7 as of January.
Although the camera’s were working at the time of Genovese’ incident, Ferrante said they did not catch him.
Ferrante said he is in talks with the city to install another 15 to 20 cameras throughout Hoboken in 2016.
For more on this story, see the print edition of the Hoboken Reporter this Sunday.
Mayor, police chief release new statement after death of Hoboken resident
