Paterson police arrests produce shock, shrugs

PATERSON – A city still recovering from the conviction of its mayor last year endured another blow to the public trust with the recent arrests of three Paterson police officers by federal authorities.

Hours after officials on Friday announced the latest charges accusing a cop of selling heroin, cocaine and marijuana – including allegations that he used his marked police vehicle for some of the drug deals – Paterson Press asked more than 30 city residents for their thoughts about the arrests.

Some expressed shock and said they still believed in the integrity of the majority of Paterson’s law enforcement officers. Others asserted they knew all along that Paterson’s police were no good and said they never had faith in the men and women in blue.

More: Paterson cop dealt heroin, cocaine and pot to wired witness, feds say

The location of the interviews seemed to be the determining factor in what view people took. Folks along Market Street in Paterson’s downtown shopping district mostly offered sympathetic opinions about the city’s law enforcement officers. But residents of the 4th Ward – Paterson’s most crime-plagued area – were far more harsh, saying the arrests affirmed what people on the street already felt.

“It’s not the whole department,” said Wendy Martin, a longtime Paterson resident as she waited for a bus near City Hall. “The same happens at almost every institution, there are some few rotten ones that give the place a bad name, but it doesn’t mean that everyone there is rotten”

But John Nero, who was playing dominoes with friends on a card table on Hamilton Avenue, had a different perspective.

“A lot of cops that are in Paterson, and cops everywhere, abuse their power,” said Nero, who acknowledged having been arrested about 10 times over the years. “The fact that the FBI came in shows there is a real problem. If only one cop were arrested, it might be an isolated incident. But the fact that three cops were arrested shows that it is systemic.”

Two Paterson police officers arrested on April 11 – Jonathan Bustios and Eudy Ramos – were charged with violating people’s civil rights for allegedly making illegal traffic stops, conducting improper searches and taking money, guns and other items from the people they pulled over.

The third officer arrested, Ruben McAusland, was recorded making numerous drug deals with a confidential witness from last October until April 1, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.

Lawyers for the three accused cops have asserted that the men did not commit any crimes. But the idea that the officers are innocent until proven guilty did not register with the people along Hamilton Avenue.

“This is just like the guy who went into the evidence room, awhile back, stole all that coke, and put it back on the street,” said 38-year-old John Luis, referring to a 2009 case involving a member of the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office. “These cops haven’t just started doing this.”

Paterson’s mayor, Jane Williams-Warren, and its police chief, Troy Oswald, both proclaimed on Friday that the accused cops do not reflect the performance of the vast majority of city law enforcement officers.

Robert Daniel, an 18-year-old college student, was one of several residents who took a similar position, saying he did not think it was fair to judge the whole 420-member department by the actions of a handful of accused cops. He described his interactions in the city’s Riverside Terrace public housing complex.

“Police officers there are good, they come and talk to us, give us advice on how to keep safe. That’s why I think most of them care,” said Daniel. “Unfortunately, some few police officers doing wrong things give police a bad name, but I don’t think all of them are really corrupt. I still think most of them care for the community and do their job. My trust in the Paterson police department is the same as always.”

The arrests come at time when Paterson has seen a steady drop in the number of complaints that citizens filed with the Internal Affairs (IA) division against city police officers.

Back in 2011, there were 217 citizen complaints, including 78 for excessive force, according to the division’s annual report. By last year, those numbers have dropped to 115 citizen complaints, including 17 for excessive force.

Rabia Reya, a 22-year-old radiography student who grew up in Paterson, said the recent arrests highlighted a need for stricter oversight within the department.

“They need to know what workers are doing, they need to supervise better,” Reya said. “Like in any job, everybody should be under supervision, especially a public servant, to make sure they do their job in the correct way.”

Kevin Ortiz, who lives near Market Street, said he thinks the handling of the cases against the accused cops will shape the way the community views the situation.

“I still trust police, but to keep my trust, well, my trust depends on what actions the police department takes regarding these ones,” said Ortiz, 22, a criminal justice student. “It really depends on how they handle the situation, how hard, strict authorities will be on these police officers.”

Police director Jerry Speziale said a new early-warning system used by Internal Affairs flagged problems with two of the accused cops, Bustios and Ramos, which prompted city police department leaders to ask the FBI to come into the city to investigate.

There has been good news on Paterson’s law enforcement front. The city last year had a 8.5-percent decrease in the number of reported violent crimes, hitting a three-decade low. Also, Paterson recently went 110 days without a homicide, the longest such lull in more than nine years.

“I actually think they do a good job trying to keep us safe,” said Martin. “I’m happy to see them on the streets working for us, I’m grateful for their job.”

“I just hope that justice is served,” said Debbie Howard, who was also waiting for the bus. “Police officers sure should abide by the law. Just because you’re a police officer, you’re not above the law. It doesn’t mean that you cannot do no wrong. You’re not invisible.”

Over on Hamilton Avenue in the notorious 4th Ward, 38-year-old Rameek Lewis said he refers to local law enforcement officers as “PCP,” for Paterson Crooked Police.

“I heard the first two guys were doing this for seven or eight months,” Lewis said citing information that authorities have confirmed. “They graduated from the same academy. The entire Passaic County is crooked. Not only the police department, but also the court house. The fact that these three guys were arrested proves this.”

Myshea Elliott was walking on Hamilton Avenue on her way home after finishing work at her job in Clifton.

“I think it is ridiculous,” Elliot said of the alleged police behavior. “Their job is to protect and serve. There very well may be more of this that will be found out.”

Authorities have said the investigation is ongoing. They have not discounted the possibility that additional city police officers are under scrutiny.

“I still feel some good about the police,” Elliot said. “Some are good. Some are bad. If I really need help, I am confident that they will come.”