With several police officers preparing to retire, the North Bergen Police Department gained six new officers on Wednesday, Aug. 31. Police Chief Robert Dowd, Mayor Nicholas Sacco, and Commissioner Allen Pasqual swore in Bryan Suarez, Emily Ramirez, George Somarriba, Biron Mendoza, Salvatore Giuca, and Vanessa Espinoza.
All the recruits currently live in North Bergen, and Mayor Sacco said he’d watched some of them grow up in the town.
“I think it’s great that you’re going out in the field, or the academy,” Sacco told them at the ceremony. “Family members have to be proud.”
Bryan Suarez is among those who lived in North Bergen his whole life. He graduated from North Bergen High School. Suarez said he loves this town so much that he turned down a position with the Port Authority Police Department to work for North Bergen. He was also a recent intern with the local police.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I love this town.” – George Somarriba
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New recruit Emily Ramirez said she wanted to become a police officer because she’s been involved in the community her whole life. Ramirez recently worked with the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department, and went to North Bergen High School.
Another new recruit, George Somarriba, said, “This is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I love this town. I finally get to work with cops, and I’ve always wanted to be in that position.”
New recruits Biron Mendoza and Salvatore Giuca were recently correction officers for the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department. Another new member, Vanessa Espinoza, grew up in Union City, but attended high school in North Bergen, where she won a record for scoring the most points in basketball one year.
Dowd told family members that the recruits would need their support while they trained at the Police Academy. “They’re going to be tired every day,” he said. “My mom made my lunch every day, and my dad took my uniform to the dry cleaners for me. They’re going to depend of you more than ever.”
Dowd thanked Pasqual and Sacco for always keeping the department fully staffed while older members retired or left the department.
Dowd said, “Safe streets is the highest priority our administration has, and I have to thank the mayor, the administration, and the commissioners for filling the ranks. Lately we’re hiring once a year, because we’re losing senior officers, but we do a great job to keep the department strong.”
“I look forward to working with all of them,” Dowd added.
Freeholder Anthony Vainieri said at the ceremony, “We approve of taking officers from North Bergen, and let these North Bergen residents work where they belong.”
After the new members were sworn in, they were given individual badges and numbers to be easily identified by the public, Dowd said.
Dowd said he remembers his first ceremony of Jan. 14, 1994. “I think about it every time I do another,” he said. “It’s an exciting time, and there will be so much for them to remember.”
Samantha Meyers can be reached at samantham@hudsonreporter.com.