the Paterson Community is still absorbing yesterday's announcement that the New Jersey attorney general's office will take over the police department effective immediately Paterson Police have long been accused by residents of harassment excessive use of force and most recently the deadly shooting of Najee Seabrooks member of the Paterson Healing Collective Paterson mayor Andre Sayegh has vehemently rejected the idea of a federal investigation into his police department but as Melissa Rose Cooper reports today he sang a different tune about the state's takeover I feel like any way we can get more resources to our Police Department we have to leverage that opportunity mayor Andre Sayegh addressing the State Attorney General's office takeover of the Paterson Police Department shortly after celebrating the promotion of over a dozen City Firefighters Saya says he recognizes trust between residents and police is an issue that he wants to fix when I first took office not a single police officer was wearing a body camera now every single police officer in Paterson is wearing a body camera and we understood we have to do a top to bottom audit and we assessed where we are so that we can find out how we can improve the way we protect and serve the public and we completed the audit and we're still in the process of implementing those recommendations so the Attorney General if he wants to come in and help build on the progress we've made within the police department we welcome that yesterday attorney general Matt platkin confirmed his office would be taking immediate steps to start the process of restoring confidence within the community including bringing in NYPD chief of strategic initiatives Issa Abbasi as officer in charge of the Paterson Police Department in 2014 Abbasi was brought in to Bill police Community relationships in Staten Island following the police involved killing of Eric Gardner plaquin also announcing major Fred fine from the state police will oversee the department in the interim I think that the 80s announcement is a step forward because the step begins with a recognition that there is a problem with the Paterson police department and policing in general but zelly Thomas of black lives matter Paterson isn't convinced the Attorney General's plan will actually help the community instead he believes having access to additional resources like more funding for community-based programs is a better solution than having more police well there's a police officer in Paterson a police officer in New Jersey or NYPD even if it would bring someone from another state that a police officer is still a police officer that brings in that mentality um and what we do recognize is that you know NYPD still has their many issues um in NYPD so we can't look to this particular office officer and say like he brought so many changes to New York policing when we understand that um people are still being killed by police officers because now GC Brooks should be here my uh Khalif Cooper should have never been shot in the back by a police officer he's paralyzed now um he shouldn't be my granddaughter should be able to walk with her father but she can't her whole life has changed his life has changed and what happens they get suspended with pay then they'll be right back on the force we can't live like that the mayor says he's always been committed to making sure residents feel safe but some people in the community still don't agree we have implemented measures such as the body cameras for trust and transparency we've also done an audit to see if additional training is one way to go and it has been particularly on de-escalation so I want to reassure those residents that Public Safety is a priority of mine and clearly attorney general says it's a priority of his too so this collaboration hopefully will yield very positive results for pattersonians the mayor says he has been in talks with the AG about future plans for the Paterson police department and they both agree the goal is to protect the city and regain the Public's trust for NJ Spotlight News I'm Melissa Rose Cooper