Court rules Platkin illegally took over Paterson police; AG will appeal

An appeals court ruled Wednesday that the state attorney general illegally took control of Paterson’s police department in March 2023 after the fatal police shooting of an anti-violence advocate. 

The appellate court ruled that Attorney General Matt Platkin lacks the authority to take control of a municipal police department without the consent of city leaders. Paterson Mayor André Sayegh applauded the ruling, calling it a “victory for local governance,” while Platkin has already promised to appeal the case to the state Supreme Court.

Platkin took control of the department and reassigned Paterson Police Chief Engelbert Ribeiro to a Trenton training commission assignment after the shooting of Najee Seabrooks, whose colleagues said he was experiencing a mental health crisis. The judges ruled that Platkin must return Ribeiro to Paterson and hand control of the police department back to city officials — unless Platkin appeals within three business days.

Should the attorney general appeal within the three business days (and he has said he will), state control of Paterson Police will continue while the Supreme Court considers the appeal.

Sayegh, Ribeiro, and other city officials sued Platkin last year to regain control of the police department.

“As a twice duly elected Mayor of Paterson, I have always maintained that the Attorney General’s takeover was both illegal and unconstitutional,” Sayegh said in a release. “This ruling reaffirms our city’s authority to manage its own police department and sets up a precedent for all municipalities across NJ that the responsibility of the police department rests on the local officials elected by the people.”

The attorney general’s office argued the Criminal Justice Act of 1970 gave them the authority to “supersede” a municipal police department, but the court disagreed.

Platkin said the state’s takeover of the police department has been a success, arguing crime has gone down and the quality of policing has gone up.

“For decades, supersession has allowed both Attorneys General and County Prosecutors to directly manage law enforcement agencies when the circumstances call for it — as they did in Paterson when our office stepped in following a fundamental breakdown of community trust,” Platkin said. “Since then, murders, shootings, sexual assaults, robberies, and other violent crime in Paterson have all plummeted, while officer morale and community trust have dramatically improved.”

New Jersey Institute for Social Justice President Ryan Haygood said the Paterson Police Department “have been so violent and lethal to Black and other people of color that we urged the Justice Department to intervene.”

“The (New Jersey Attorney General) courageously stepped in and took over (the) Paterson P.D.,” Haygood said.  “In a shameful ruling, a court returned (the) Paterson PD to those responsible for that lethal culture.”

Updated: Dec. 18, 3:06 p.m.