New Police Academy Graduates Sworn Into Department

Three recent graduates of the Bergen County Police Academy were sworn in as Hoboken police officers Friday in a ceremony at City Hall.

John Quinones, Dennis Figueroa and Roberto Cuevas, who had all just completed the academy's five-month Basic Police Training course the day earlier, were administered the oath of office by city clerk James Farina.

The rookies began two weeks of agency training this week and will follow that with another three months of field training during which they'll become better acquainted with the city and their role policing it, while accompanied by other experienced officers.

Quinones, Figueroa and Cuevas should be able to operate on the road independently by October, public safety director Jon Tooke said.

The newly-minted officers are the second group of policemen to be sworn in to the Hoboken police force in as many weeks. The Friday before last, Officers Brandon Fitzgibbons and Ramon Estrella joined the department as lateral transfers from the Hudson County Sheriff's Office.

In anticipation of about a half-dozen retirements in August, the city plans to send another 10 officer candidates to the upcoming police academy class that begins in July to get the department's staffing levels back to the table of organization established by city ordinance.