Letter to the Editor: PSOA President John Petrosino

Dear Editor, 

Our current economic condition has forced thousands of American Families to cut back over the last few years.  Fear, anxiety and a sense of mistrust has hit our society. Unfortunately our City is now faced with a similar dilemma regarding its safety.  The Hoboken Police Department has seen a reduction in staff over the past three years totaling nearly 15% (22 members of service). In the next 16 months, our city will lose another 13%  (17 members of service) of its Police force with no replacements in sight.

The upcoming retirements in the Police department will mainly affect the supervisory ranks. These departures will allow the city to hire more young officers at low salaries. Some may say that “owning” a Police Officer from the day they are sworn in until virtually the day they die is too costly in this day and age. We need to move past today toward the long term stability of this city’s most vital entity - -it’s Police Department. It has been proven that with proper background checks and training, the investment in a good person can yield a great officer who would serve this community for decades. This investment must be made. 

The City has attempted some short term solutions such as their plan to hire Class II, part time, officers. These special officers may be able to temporarily supplement problem areas in our city, but they are not the solution. Class II officers take close to a year to complete basic police courses and cost nearly $10,000 each to train and outfit with equipment. These officers cannot teach D.A.R.E. (Drug Awareness Resistance Education) and G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education And Training) or receive any type of specialized training. The most disturbing problem with Class II officers is that they can receive all the required training at our tax payers cost then leave to work in another city at any time. We currently invested thousands of dollars and months of training in the single Class II officer we now employ. This young man is a hard worker but is currently seeking employment elsewhere. I personally do not want my tax dollars spent that way.

With no strong plan in sight, we will soon be faced with longer response times to emergencies; less police officers on patrol and no specialized community services. No citizen of this City deserves this type of service. Decades ago, Hoboken was considered an undesirable blip on the map. Through the hard work of our “old time” residents and the progressive attitude of our “new Hoboken” community, this city has grown to be the jewel of New Jersey. 

Where are we headed? No one wants to see crime increase. No one wants to see property values decrease. No one wants to be victimized. The Hoboken Police department needs this community’s support. We need our police department to be as progressive and vibrant as our community has been. The residents of this city deserve service of an elite Police Department. There was a time when we all had to do more with less. Our families and friends are still doing so in their personal lives. This Police Department has also. Now is the time to start looking ahead. The administration and Police Department have to come together to develop a plan that will keep our city moving forward. 

I implore the citizens of this city to take this matter to heart. We are all part of this community because we want to be. This is a great city that has a lot to offer, that’s why we are all here. Lets look forward and make the invest.

Sergeant John Petrosino

Hoboken Police Superior Officers Association President