the state is taking control of Patterson's troubled Police Department attorney general Matt platkin today said the order is effective immediately due to quote a crisis of confidence in law enforcement in the city reaction has been coming in from across the state Governor Murphy applauded the decision in a statement saying it's become clear there's a deep lack of trust between police and the community they serve Melissa Rose Cooper was in Patterson for the announcement and has the details Melissa Brianna the State Attorney General confirming it's his duty to make sure the residents of Patterson feel safe and he's hoping the changes that he's making to the police department will help begin that process effective immediately my office has assumed control of all law enforcement functions of the Patterson Police Department members of the community applauding State Attorney General Matt platkin's announcement that he's exercising his power to take over the Paterson Police Department it comes just weeks after the death of not GC Brooks following a four hours plus standoff with police the AG saying sea Brooks's death along with years of incidents of police misconduct have created a quote crisis of confidence and under these circumstances I cannot deliver on my duty to protect the people of Patterson and to keep officers safe who are sworn to protect them and that cannot continue so something has to change and it will change starting now platkin is bringing in NYPD chief of strategic initiatives Issa Abbasi as officer in charge of the Paterson Police Department in May Abbasi is a 25-year veteran of the NYPD and in 2014 he was brought in to build police Community relationships in Staten Island following the police involved killing of Eric Garner major Fred fine from the state police will oversee the department in the interim residents of this city and residents in every Community across our state must feel that those officers called on in times of emergency or distress will help provide the solutions that community members need and deserve not escalate situations or exacerbate vulnerabilities officers in this city and officers in every agency and Department across the state must also be provided with professional leadership and the resources necessary to Foster Innovation and crime reduction nurture a police culture built on the foundation of integrity and respect and ensure the overall Wellness of our officers the AG also announced three actions that seemed to be in response to the seabrook's killing bringing the arrive together program to Patterson and Passaic County that pairs mental health professionals with law enforcement to respond to mental health crises Reviving Statewide use of force to include protocols for barricaded individuals Seabrooks was barricaded in a bathroom when police arrived and forming a working group to make recommendations on how police community-based violence intervention groups should interact Seabrooks was a member of the Patterson Healing Collective and activists say they weren't able to speak with Seabrooks during his standoff with officers members of the community say change is long overdue I am encouraged that somebody is coming in here and taking a look at what's going on I've been saying for the longest that there's some issues at 111 Broadway and somebody's listening now and I'm happy to hear that now we want to see what the progression is going to be we've been asking for this for quite some time and nobody's been believing us um you know the use of force is so weird like top we like number one in the state police involved shootings and it's ridiculous that we're here and we have to beg for them to come to investigate it because if you let them tell it the police department that everything is going so well if you let the mayor tell you everything is great here in Paterson in response to today's announcement the mayor says he previously welcomed the AG's office to assist with the city's Internal Affairs process but he looks forward to working with the AG to improve the police department and the community the State Attorney General says he knows that change won't happen overnight but he's committed to making that happen and residents say they're going to make sure that he keeps his promise in Patterson I'm Melissa Rose Cooper for NJ Spotlight news [Music]