Bergenfield Swears In County's First Muslim Police Chief

BERGENFIELD, NJ – Bergenfield made history this week when Bergen County’s first Muslim police chief took the reins.

In a ceremony surrounded by family, friends, colleagues and officials on Tuesday night, Mustafa Rabboh was sworn in as chief by his longtime friend, Abdelmageid Abdelhadi, a municipal judge in Paterson, according to the department.

Rabboh, a Paterson native, joined the department in 2003 and rose through the ranks, becoming sergeant in 2009, lieutenant in 2012 and captain in 2015.

He fills an opening left after former chief Cathy Madalone’s retirement last month. Bergenfield also made headlines after appointing Madalone – the county’s first female police chief.

Bergenfield’s Borough Administrator Corey Gallo told NJ.com that officials weren’t seeking to make a statement with either hiring and they “look for qualified people.”

When it came time to name a new chief, Gallo told the newspaper the council “gravitated to his process of inclusiveness and community outreach.”

Rabboh is the second Muslim police chief in the state. The state’s first Muslim police chief – Ahmed Naga in Long Hill Township – was sworn in last year.