Solomon taps Ambrose, renowned ex-Newark cop, to lead Jersey City Public Safety

James Solomon, who will take office as mayor of Jersey City tomorrow, has named fabled 35-year law enforcement leader Anthony Ambrose as his acting public safety director.

Ambrose served as Newark Public Safety Director, supervising the city’s police and fire divisions, from 2016 to 2021 under Mayor Ras Baraka.  He previously served as chief of detectives at the Essex County Prosecutor’s office, as Essex County Undersheriff, Newark Police Director, and Newark Chief of Police.  He began his career as a Newark police officer in 1983.

“Anthony Ambrose knows how to run a public safety operation that serves the people. Director Ambrose has a track record of delivering results and will bring a wealth of experience and stability to the Jersey City Public Safety Department,” Solomon stated. “He reduced violent crime, implemented body-worn cameras, built genuine community partnerships, and met the requirements of a federal consent decree. That’s the kind of proven leadership Jersey City needs right now. Acting Director Ambrose will assess what’s working, what isn’t, and give us an honest roadmap for building a public safety operation our people deserve.”

In Newark, Ambrose built a unit to work with a federal monitor after a federal consent decree went into effect.  Ambrose was brought in to rescue the Newark police force after the federal decree.

“Anthony Ambrose helped transform public safety in Newark. He led with integrity, held officers accountable, and never forgot that the job is about serving residents—not the other way around,” stated Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark. “He knows how to rebuild trust between a department and its community. Jersey City is getting someone who has done the work, not just talked about it. I’m confident he will bring the same dedication to Jersey City that he brought to Newark.”

Ambrose said he knows “what it takes to turn a department around.”

“It starts with the personnel—you can’t ask people to do a difficult job if you’re not listening to them and giving them what they need to succeed,” Ambrose said.  “We’ve got work to do on morale and recruiting, and that’s where I’m starting. At the same time, we’ve got the World Cup and America 250 coming, and Jersey City needs to be ready. And Mayor Solomon asked me to take a hard look at how things operate here – including whether we’re using the right response for every type of call. That’s what I intend to do.”

He starts tomorrow and replaces James Shea, who resigned last week.