Paterson police captains get new assignments to address issues within patrol division

PATERSON — Six of the 12 captains in the Paterson police department have received new assignments as part of a reorganization that officials said is designed to address inconsistencies within the patrol division.

“In the past the patrol division was divided into what was essentially four separate operational units, each commanded by a captain,” said state-appointed Officer In Charge Isa Abbassi in a memo issued to city police officers last week.

“This often proved to be problematic because you were receiving inconsistent direction based upon your platoon and squad of assignment,” Abbassi added.

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Under the changes that took effect July 7, Capt. Stephen Iacuzzo will become commander of the entire patrol division, while Capt. Louis DeLucca will serve as his executive officer, or number two in command.

Iacuzzo and DeLucca previously had been two of the four captains overseeing portions of the patrol division.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, who took control of the police department in March 2023, issued a press release Monday announcing the changes.

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“These appointments represent a change in leadership philosophy,” said Abbassi in the press release. “Making sure that all of our executives have clearly defined roles and responsibilities will allow us to better serve the city of Paterson while ensuring accountability.”

The other captains with new duties are:

• Michael Saginario has gone from field services executive officer to field services commanding officer. Field services includes the patrol, traffic, and emergency response units.
• George Vasquez went from a special operations captain to citywide operations commander, which puts him in charge of strategies involving patrol and investigative divisions.
• Steven Rooney has gone from patrol captain to the special operations division, which includes traffic and emergency response.
• Scott Eason went from patrol captain to becoming executive officer in investigative services.

The police department has two vacant deputy chief positions.