Former commanding officer of Staten Island precinct to take over NJ police department

In this Advance file photo, former Deputy Inspector Isa Abbassi attends a "Cop of the Month" ceremony, where he praised his officers at the 120th Precinct. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced on Monday that his office will be handing over control of the Paterson Police Department, including all police functions such as internal affairs investigations, to a former commanding officer of Staten Island’s 120th Precinct.

Isa Abbassi, a 25-year veteran of the NYPD and its current chief of strategic initiatives, will become the officer-in-charge of the Paterson Police Department in May.

The announcement comes less than a month after Paterson police fatally shot 31-year-old crisis intervention worker Najee Seabrooks during a tense standoff.

“There is a crisis of confidence in law enforcement in the City of Paterson,” Platkin said in a statement. “People throughout Paterson deserve a public safety system that protects and serves all members of its community, just as the members of the Paterson Police Department deserve adequate resources, support and innovation from their leadership.”

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