North Bergen PD has lowest municipal use-of-force rate in Hudson, AG database shows
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
North Bergen’s use-of-force rate is six percent, according to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office’s Use-of-Force Dashboard.
“Building trust between our officers and the community we serve has never been more critical to our mission, so I could not be more proud of the men and women of the North Bergen Police Department who are truly living up to our values by limiting the use of force whenever possible,” Police Chief Peter Fasilis said in a statement.
“I believe strongly that we are most effective when the residents know us, trust us, and believe we are here to protect them. Reducing use-of-force encounters helps build those relationships and makes our entire community safer.”
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Chief Fasilis gives his department two thumbs up. Photo by Art Schwartz.
New data released by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office shows that the North Bergen Police Department employed use of force at a lower rate than any other municipal police department in Hudson County last year.
According to the data, North Bergen’s rate was 6.0 percent, with just seven use-of-force reports filed between Oct. 1, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2021.
Mayor Nicholas Sacco and other officials celebrated the ranking as proof that its fostering of better police-community relations is succeeding and helping make residents safer.
“We’ve always known that our North Bergen Police Department is one of the most outstanding law enforcement agencies in the state, and this new set of data proves that our officers are not only keeping us safe from crime, they are doing it in a professional manner that shows restraint and respect,” Sacco said. “I commend Chief Peter Fasilis and his entire te