Paterson Police Department officer in charge Isa Abbassi discusses his strategic plan for city law enforcement at the Paterson Public Library.
PATERSON - Capt. Pat Murray, a Paterson police officer for almost 40 years, will become Officer in Charge (OIC) as part of the latest leadership changes being made under state control of the city police department.
Isa Abbassi, the retired New York chief who has been the city's OIC for the past 18 months, will become the executive director of the Attorney General's new statewide Office of Policing Strategy and Innovation. Abbassi also will fill the newly-created role of Public Safety Monitor for Paterson.
Abbassi notified Paterson police department members of the changes -- which will take effect on Nov. 22 -- in a memo Monday afternoon.
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Murray -- who is popular with Paterson community leaders and elected officials -- spent more than a decade in charge of the police department's Ceasefire unit, which investigated the city's nonfatal shootings. In recent years, his command expanded to include the special investigations and street crime units.
"OIC Murray has my fullest confidence, as I am certain he has yours," Abbassi said in the memo. "Murray will oversee all day-to-day operations of the department while I continue to support you and your mission as monitor."
When state control began in March 2023, Murray was designated executive officer of the department. About a month ago, he was made deputy OIC.
Engelbert Ribeiro, who was appointed as Paterson police chief by Mayor Andre Sayegh prior to state control, had been relieved of command with the AG intervention and reassigned to a training job in Trenton.
Ribeiro, Sayegh and assistant public safety director Mark Bulur have a lawsuit pending in state appellate court that is seeking to nullify the AG takeover. Participants are expecting a decision in that case within months.
The changes announced on Monday spurred speculation among city police officers that the new appointments may be connected in some way to the legal case.
Sayegh on Monday praised Abbassi and Murray.
"I want to thank Officer-in-Charge Isa Abbassi for his time with the Paterson Police Department and his dedication to building a productive and collaborative relationship with my administration," the mayor said. "Together, we worked hand-in-hand to address community concerns and prioritize the well-being of Paterson's residents."
"Notwithstanding that the Attorney General abused his authority," Sayegh added, regarding the state takeover, "I have made it a priority to work the OIC in the interest of improving public safety. That's what happens when you focus on a partnership, not on politics."
The mayor called Murray "an exemplary law enforcement leader and I am eager to continue our long-standing collaborative relationship."
More than an hour after the memo went out to Paterson officers, the AG's office issued an announcement regarding Abbassi's new position, saying his task will be creating consistency across New Jersey's 530 law enforcement agencies and among the 40,000 officers who work for them.
"The demands of modern-day policing necessitate a statewide, centralized approach that can advise and support law enforcement agencies and encourage their growth and improvement," said Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
"The law enforcement profession continues to become more complex, with officers needing to adapt to new technology, to understand emerging practices and strategies while receiving little guidance on what works best or is reliably based in research or evidence, and to operate at a level of leadership for which they may not have been adequately prepared," Platkin said.
"I am creating this office as a resource for the law enforcement community as they meet these needs," he said.