Without a police chief for 14 years, Hackensack is ready to swear in one

3 minute read

HACKENSACK — The city will swear in Capt. Mike Antista, the department’s officer-in-charge, as police chief at a special meeting Tuesday evening.

Antista will be the department’s first chief in 14 years, as former chief Ken Zisa left the department after being charged with fraud by abuse of office. Since then, the department has been led by a number of police directors and responsible officers.

Ray Guidetti, the current police director, was appointed to the position in 2022 after an independent investigation found overtime abuse by some of the department’s highest-ranking officers and a decline in arrests. He said the appointment of a chief was a “historic step” for the department.

“We recognize that Hackensack has been in some turmoil over the years,” Guidetti said. “They have chosen to fill the positions of police director and officer in charge. I feel like we as a police department are now ready to take the next step forward with the chief executive officer being a sworn police chief.”

Since taking on the role of police director, Guidetti has made changes to reform the struggling department, introducing new technology and systems to monitor overtime and increasing the department’s focus on community engagement.

His tenure was also marked by numerous complaints and lawsuits filed by officials against the director, alleging impropriety and retaliation.

The City Council passed the measure last Tuesday to reinstate the position of police chief to the department’s organizational table.

The 2022 review of the department by Robert Anzilotti, the retired criminal chief of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, recommended the council hire a police director to lead the department and restore accountability. But it was also recommended that the director “develop and train tomorrow’s leaders within the department.”

“To prepare for this future police chief transition, the director must transform the department’s leadership practices, morale and productivity while creating the growth and advancement opportunities needed by the rank and file. “We encourage our members to embrace the future,” it said in the report.

More: Hackensack City Council drama blamed on racist remarks at a high school football game

Anthony DiPersia, president of the Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 9A, the city’s supervisory officer association, said reinstating the role is long overdue.

“After three failed police directors, the appointment of a police chief was long overdue. The PBA hopes that with a boss, the lines of communication with the city will be reopened,” he said. “However, the timing is remarkable. The reinstatement of the police chief comes just months before the election.”

Last November, PBA Local 9A voted to express no confidence in the leadership of Guidetti and Antista. Three weeks later, PBA Local 9, the union that represents the city’s rank-and-file officers, also voted against Guidetti.

After that vote, city officials announced they would extend Guidetti’s contract for another year, through 2026.

In April, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office took control of the city government’s Internal Affairs Bureau and Office of Professional Standards. The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services is working with police to conduct an assessment and plan for their future. This review is expected to take about a year.

Guidetti said he expects to remain loyal to the department during this time and steer it in the right direction.

“I took this position to help reform this police department and get it back on track to where it should be. That’s still my goal,” he said. “The ship has been righted. Now we want to make sure things are going in the right direction in the long term.”

DiPersia said the decision to appoint a chief was made without consultation with officials or the public and department members.

“Incredibly, the council failed to ask the public or members of the police department for a say in the selection of the police chief,” he said.

Frank Cavallo, president of PBA Local 9, said the union was pleased that the chief’s position had been reinstated, but the union was not consulted in the selection and was informed of the appointment only after officials learned the news from a email from the head association.

“We hope the new boss will involve the union in decisions affecting officers and address our many issues, including limited promotions and inadequate manpower,” he said. “Our officers work hard every day and we need more support to strengthen relationships with residents and stakeholders in Hackensack.”

Antista will be sworn in as chief on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Murray Boys & Girls Club teen director arrested on child abuse charges

Girona needs an Alegria in its Streno as Anfitrión de Champions

Odds, tips and predictions for the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons

Without a police chief for 14 years, Hackensack is ready to swear in one

3 minute read

Related posts:

By Hudson Brooklyn

You Missed

Cudahy police issue a traffic alert ahead of the campaign stop in Harris

Renton man accused of stabbing and killing tradesman, pleads not guilty; Trial date set

Fans can expect a parenting drama from Ray and Cora in Season 6 of “FBI Most Wanted.”

NLCS Game 3 Odds, Picks, Best Bet

Without a police chief for 14 years, Hackensack is ready to swear in one

3 minute read

Related posts:

By Hudson Brooklyn

Related Post

Cudahy police issue a traffic alert ahead of the campaign stop in Harris

Renton man accused of stabbing and killing tradesman, pleads not guilty; Trial date set

Fans can expect a parenting drama from Ray and Cora in Season 6 of “FBI Most Wanted.”

You Missed

Cudahy police issue a traffic alert ahead of the campaign stop in Harris

Renton man accused of stabbing and killing tradesman, pleads not guilty; Trial date set

Fans can expect a parenting drama from Ray and Cora in Season 6 of “FBI Most Wanted.”

NLCS Game 3 Odds, Picks, Best Bet