New Jersey’s Supreme Court has temporarily halted a lower court’s ruling that criticized the state attorney general’s authority over the Paterson Police Department.
On Thursday, the high court’s intervention allows Attorney General Matt Platkin’s designated leader to continue overseeing the department. The stay was issued without elaboration, and Platkin expressed his satisfaction with the decision on X.
He mentioned, “As our appeal proceeds, the PPD will continue to operate as it has since March 2023: ensuring public safety while reinforcing community trust.”
Earlier this week, the New Jersey Appellate Division ruled that Platkin had exceeded his jurisdiction by taking control of Paterson’s police department in March 2023, a move prompted by the controversial death of Najee Seabrooks, who was shot by police after he barricaded himself in a bathroom.
The appellate court instructed Platkin to return governance of the police department to local officials and reinstate Police Chief Engelbert Ribeiro, who had been reassigned to a police training commission. However, this directive is now on hold due to the Supreme Court’s ruling.
This legal development occurs amid scrutiny of police practices under the current Biden administration, particularly in Trenton, which has been flagged for a pattern of misconduct. Platkin has been advocating for increased accountability within police departments across the state.
With a population of approximately 160,000, Paterson is located about 20 miles northwest of Manhattan. Demographic changes in recent decades have transformed it from a predominantly white city to one where Black residents make up nearly 24%, and Hispanic residents surpass 60%.
As the Black community has expanded, tensions have arisen with the city’s predominantly white leadership, especially within the police department. Platkin acknowledged earlier this year that he understood why residents might be skeptical of the police.
Since the beginning of 2019, police in Paterson have fatally shot four individuals, and two others, including Jameek Lowery, died due to restraint methods.
The appellate court’s ruling did, however, allow Platkin to maintain his control over the internal affairs unit of the police department, which is responsible for investigating misconduct within the force itself — a part of the department that city officials did not contest.