Paterson’s 19 Newest Officers Dubbed ‘Phelan’s Force’ in Honor of Fallen Captain – TAPinto.net
PATERSON, NJ – Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh swore in 19 new members of the Paterson Police Department Tuesday. Dubbing them “Phelan’s Force” in homage to the beloved veteran of the Paterson Police Department that passed away on Sunday, Sayegh encouraged the newest officers to show the same level of dedication as the beloved Captain John Phalen did during his 37-year career.
Just months after Police Officer Bevennia Franklin’s swearing in conjured emotion as she received her fallen brother’s badge number, this most recent swearing in played at the heartstrings as Waleska Herrera and Sgt. Evelyn Gonzalez, a 17-year veteran, became the first mother and daughter to serve on the Paterson Police Department.
Expressing pride in her daughter’s accomplishment at making her way through the grueling six-month Essex County Police Academy, Gonzales offered “always do the right thing,” as advice. Herrera, meanwhile, said that watching her mother go to work every day, and loving her job, was an inspiration.
“I didn’t do this to become the first mother and daughter,” Herrera said. “I am making the change I want to see in the world, and in Paterson.”
That change, as well as the contributions Herrera 18 new colleagues will make during their career, won’t always be easy to measure, Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale warned.
The greatest impact, the career law enforcement professional said, aren’t typically seen in statistics. Instead, it’s the “quieter stories that go untold” that are truly meaningful, he said, like the children they influence, the drug addicts who turn their life around after an interaction with police, or the senior citizens who get home safely.
Offering even more straightforward guidance to those embarking on a challenging career at a challenging time was Police Chief Ibrahim “Mike” Baycora who implored them to “away be dedicated, follow your oath, and serve the citizens with honor and integrity.
Sworn in Tuesday were:
- Yousef Abdalaziz
- Catherine Angel
- Malek Assaf
- Alexis Cardenas
- Nicholas D’Amico
- Corey Davis
- Muhammed Dombayci
- China Farrar
- Ryan Fitzsimmons
- Ruben Gonzalez
- Waleska Herrera
- Daniel Leena
- Anthony Montano
- Ricky Navarro
- Sasha Nina
- John Rikowich
- Wisam Salameh
- Johnben Sagdic
- Malcolm Waite
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