Recognizing the success of recent initiatives to reform the police department, Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse and the City Council agreed unanimously to extend the contract of Police Director Raymond Guidetti for an additional year ending in 2026. The extension ensures Guidetti will be a major voice and intermediary during the department’s next round of contract negotiations with the city, and is a reflection of the city’s confidence in his leadership.
“Director Guidetti has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a dedication to the principles of law enforcement and public safety,” said Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse. “His commitment to implementing sincere and substantial reform policies have contributed greatly to the positive trajectory of our police department.”
Director Guidetti was hired by the City’s Governing Body in August 2022 following the release of an audit that revealed prevailing, problematic deficiencies at the Police Department including a lack of capable leadership, a precipitous drop in arrests despite a stable number of calls for service, and a dramatic increase in overtime. A second audit in 2023 exposed a coordinated scheme by many of the HPD’s highest-ranking officers to generate extra income for themselves, by working nearly 1,800 extra-duty traffic details and earning an estimated $1 million in extra compensation during one 31-month period alone.
Since his arrival Police Director Guidetti has successfully instituted a number of major reforms to the Hackensack Police Department including a fair and transparent system for personnel assignment to traffic details, technology enhancements to support accountability and crime reduction efforts, significant improvements to body-worn camera capabilities, the establishment of a School Threat Assessment and Crime Prevention Bureau, a drone program, an Emergency Services Unit, personnel assignment to the Northern New Jersey Real Time Crime Center, a Community Outreach and Engagement initiative, crime documentation and mapping, command accountability practices, and a structured process for identifying training needs.
“I am honored to continue servicing the residents of Hackensack, and together with our dedicated officers and community partners we will continue to strive to provide the highest quality of public safety possible,” said Director Guidetti. “Thank you to the Mayor and City Council for their continued faith in our shared goal.”
The City forwarded copies of the audits to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office as well as the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office with the expectation that they will independently investigate the concerning information uncovered in the reports and take appropriate action.
