City to Swear in 2 New Police Officers Friday

The Hoboken Police Department will welcome two experienced officers into its ranks Friday when a couple lateral transfers from the Hudson County Sheriff's Office are sworn in.

Brandon Fitzgibbons and Ramon Estrella, members of the 2010 Jersey City Police Academy class, will begin patrolling in Hoboken shortly, Public Safety Director Jon Tooke said.

Fitzgibbons is the nephew of former city Democratic Chairman and Hudson County Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons.

Tooke said the officers both requested a transfer to Hoboken, which required the blessing of both Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari and the state civil service commission.

He said he was grateful the sheriff had signed off on the transfer and that the officers wanted to continue their law enforcement careers in the Mile Square City.

“We’re very proud they feel positively about Hoboken Police Department and want to be a part of our police family," Tooke said. "We welcome them."

The police department has had a number of retirements over the past year and anticipates another half-dozen or so in August, so the transfers will help the city make up for those losses.

Tooke said the Hoboken Police Department would welcome another group of new officers next Friday when three recent graduates of the police academy are appointed. The rookies will go through agency training for a couple weeks and then advance to field training for another three months, where they'll be on the road in Hoboken, but accompanied by other officers. They should be able to operate on the road independently by October, Tooke said.

The city also plans to send 10 officer candidates to the upcoming police academy class starting in July.

"There are always people retiring, so we’re always looking to hire," explained Tooke, who said the new hires would bring the department's staffing levels back to or near the table of organization established by city ordinance.