With their families and police officers from throughout the area looking on, three North Bergen Police Department members were promoted to sergeant last week.
The ceremony, held after the Nov. 24 North Bergen commissioners’ meeting, promoted Det. James Gaughran, Det. Enrique Marrero, and Police Officer Jesus Fernandez to the rank of sergeant.
They will administer North Bergen’s closed-circuit television public security system, which will be housed in the Police Athletic League (PAL) building on Tonnelle Avenue at 61st Street. With this promotion, they became a part of management, and will be the liaison between upper management and police officers.
“Words can’t express it.” – Enrique Marrero
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In September, North Bergen was awarded a $45,936 Urban Enterprise Fund grant from the New Jersey Urban Enterprise CCTV Public Security System Phase II project. Then in October, two grants for $1,673,558 and $820,940 were allocated from the UEZ fund for the North Bergen video surveillance system.
The township had fought for the UEZ funding when the surveillance system was first considered a municipal project, and a cap was placed on how much funding they could receive. A 20 percent match was required from the municipality until Sacco, also a state senator, sponsored amending language to the legislation. The township then no longer had to match the funding.
The funding will pay for the three officers’ salaries for the first year in their new roles.
Sworn in
Sacco swore in each officer at the ceremony, while members of the North Bergen, Guttenberg, Union City, and West New York Police departments, along with the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office and Hudson County corrections officers, looked on. Family members were present as well.
Sacco said he was glad the three officers, all North Bergen residents, were promoted with the aide of the UEZ grant.
Gaughran, 37, said that it was a great feeling to be moving from detective to sergeant. The last promotions made in the department were two years ago, when Gaughran was promoted to his present rank. He joined the department in 2002, after working as a Hudson County Corrections officer.
“I think it is going to be great,” said Gaughran about the surveillance project. “It’s going to be a great asset to the department.”
Marrero, 36, worked as a corrections officer at the Hudson County Jail and as a Hudson County Sheriff’s Officer before joining the department. He is the current president of the Hudson County Chapter of the NJ State Latino Peace Officers Association and is a certified hostage negotiator.
Marrero was nearly speechless after his promotion.
“Words can’t express it,” said Marrero. “I feel really good. It’s a big project and I’m glad that they gave me the opportunity to actually make our community safer.”
Fernandez, 45, was a sheriff’s officer before joining the department. He is a member of the department’s tactical response team as well.
“I have a lot of faith in the mayor and the chief and everyone guiding me through the whole way,” said Fernandez.
Setting up cameras
Galvin said the three new sergeants had not been involved in the project before their promotion, but will now help look at the technical aspects of the cameras.
He was grateful for the promotions and said that it was a “no lose situation.”
“Thank you, all of you, and good luck out there,” said Sacco.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.