6 cadets join troubled Paterson Police Department, which has made progress since state takeover
PATERSON, N.J. -- A new group of recruits is joining the police department in New Jersey's third-largest city.
The six new Paterson cadets were sworn in Monday morning.
It comes a little more than 100 days since the troubled department was taken over by the state.
Like the department they are joining, the latest class of recruits is diverse. Luis Oscar moved to Paterson from the Dominican Republic when he was 6 years old.
"This is something I've always wanted to do since I was young," Oscar said.
The eager cadets joined the Paterson Police nearly four months after the state stepped in to run the department. That move came after several high-profile incidents involving force, including the fatal police shooting of activist Najee Brooks.
NYPD veteran Isa Abbassi was appointed to lead the Paterson PD.
"You have a community here that's very willing to see the change in their police and to build those relationships," Abbassi said.
Abbassi said at the same time, crime is going down.
Overall crime is down 8% compared to this time last year. Murders are down 50% and robberies have dropped 18%.
"Instances where people were getting hurt and harmed by crime in the past year, we're seeing significant decreases this year, and that's hundreds of Patersonians that are not being victimized by crime," Abbassi said.
READ MORE: New Jersey attorney general releases list of changes to Paterson Police Department since takeover
Police are also trying to improve the quality of life in Paterson. Officers have cracked down on drug activity, and drug users who have long congregated on the busy thoroughfare of Broadway.
Mayor Andre Sayegh said it's a sign of progress in the department.
"And we're trying to get the help that those folks need on Broadway. We've been able to clean it up," Sayegh said.
The newest crop of police cadets will join a department with just more than 400 sworn officers, but their training will look a lot different than police academy training did even a few years ago.
READ MORE: Some residents say state takeover of Paterson Police Department was long overdue
Officials told CBS New York there is now a major focus on less-than-lethal training, alternative uses of force, and recognizing diversity in the community.
Paterson's mayor said there is $10 million earmarked in the state budget for his police department. He said that funding will make a big difference in stabilizing the department, if it comes through.
