Top N.J. court keeps Paterson police in Platkin’s hands, for now

The Attorney General’s Office will retain control of Paterson’s police department after the state’s highest court paused a ruling that would have returned the police department to city hands.

An appeals court ruled Wednesday that Attorney General Matt Platkin overstepped his authority when he took over the Paterson Police Department after the fatal police shooting of an anti-violence advocate in March 2023. Platkin appealed to the Supreme Court of New Jersey, which on Thursday decided to stay the appellate court’s ruling until the case snakes its way through the high bench.

Platkin wrested control of the police department a few weeks after last year’s shooting 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 appellate court’s Wednesday ruling found that Platkin should hand over control of the police department back to city officials, but also said the ruling would not take effect if the attorney general appealed within three business days.

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, one of several officials suing the attorney general, called Platkin’s appeal a “delay tactic” in a statement Thursday.

“While it is customary for the Supreme Court to temporarily stay such a momentous decision while it undertakes a review, the unanimous and well-reasoned Appellate Court decision by three well-regarded Judges is crystal clear that Matt Platkin’s takeover is illegal,” Sayegh said. “I welcome the Supreme Court affirming this decision and ensuring that the rights of residents and the officials they elect will never again be trampled upon by overreaching State Agencies who violate the law.”

In a statement after the appellate ruling Wednesday, 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. He also promised to appeal the ruling in that statement.

“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.”

Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson) has praised the attorney general’s takeover of the police department.

“As a representative of Paterson and a staunch advocate for our community’s safety and prosperity, I fully support the Attorney General’s decision to appeal today’s ruling, which threatens to undo the tremendous progress we’ve made in restoring public trust and improving law enforcement in our city,” Wimberly said in a Wednesday statement. “This setback is deeply troubling, especially after nearly two years of concerted efforts and significant investments aimed at strengthening our police department and protecting the people of Paterson.”