Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announces that effective April 2, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office will take charge of the Englewood Police Department.
On December 15, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the City of Englewood entered into a Memorandum of Agreement under which the Prosecutor’s Office assumed direction and control of the Englewood Police Department’s Internal Affairs functions.
The present action under which the Prosecutor’s Office will assume full direction and control of the police department is occasioned by the unanticipated retirement of Englewood Chief of Police Lawrence Suffern on April 1.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office will assume command of the department under the authority of Prosecutor Musella as the chief law enforcement officer of the County of Bergen.
The Chief of Detectives will assign a senior member of the Prosecutor’s Office as Officer in Charge to run the day-to-day operations of the Englewood Police Department and will assign additional personnel as necessary to ensure public safety and the continuation of all police services.
The superior officers and rank and file police officers of the department will report through their chain of command to the Officer in Charge.
“I would like to thank Chief Suffern for his service to the residents of Englewood for more than 30 years, and I wish him good health and all the best in his retirement,” Prosecutor Musella said.
“I also commend the men and women of the Englewood Police Department for their dedicated service, and we look forward to working with them to ensure that public safety remains the priority of the Department as we transition to a new leadership team.”
Englewood City Manager Sonia Alves-Viveiros states it has been an honor and pleasure to work with Chief Suffern and looks forward to working with the Prosecutor’s Office to ensure the community needs take precedence during this transition period.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office will remain in charge of the Englewood Police Department while the City of Englewood takes the necessary steps to provide a suitable management structure for the department. The Prosecutor would like to thank the governing body of the City of Englewood and the City Manager for their cooperation in this effort.