Hackensack Police Reclaim Control of Internal Affairs: Is the Era of Oversight Over?
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, after 18 months of outside intervention, the Hackensack Police Department has officially regained control of its Internal Affairs Bureau and Office of Professional Standards. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office (BCPO), which seized oversight in April 2024 amid a flurry of lawsuits and internal friction, has formally ended its stay in the city.
The move marks a pivotal turning point for a department that has spent years under a microscope.
Why Did the Prosecutor Take Over?
The BCPO’s intervention wasn’t a random check-in—it was a response to a department in crisis. When oversight began in 2024, Hackensack was grappling with:
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Widespread Litigation: Multiple lawsuits from officers alleging harassment and retaliation.
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Leadership Tensions: High-level friction between city officials and police rank-and-file.
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The “No Confidence” Vote: In 2023, both PBA Local 9 and 9A voted unanimously that they had no confidence in the then-leadership, citing plummeting morale.
The Reform Era: From Guidetti to Antista
The road to Monday’s announcement was paved by significant leadership changes. Raymond Guidetti, hired as Police Director in 2022 to fix overtime abuse and accountability issues, implemented new tracking technology before his departure in March 2025.
Now, under Police Chief Michael Antista, who took the helm in October 2024, the department is eager to show it can self-govern.
“This milestone reflects the department’s hard work over the past 18 months to strengthen policies, procedures, and training,” Chief Antista said in a statement. “The department is proud of its progress and remains committed to integrity and accountability.”
What Changes Now?
Now that the BCPO’s Deputy Chief Jeff Angermeyer and Prosecutor Mark Musella have stepped back, the Hackensack PD internal affairs unit has resumed “full responsibility of investigations.”
For residents, this means:
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Local Oversight: Internal complaints and officer conduct will now be handled in-house.
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Focus on Community: The department claims it is doubling down on “community engagement” to repair public trust.
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A Fresh Start: Antista views this as an “important step forward” to move past the era of grievances and external monitors.
The Lingering Questions
While the city celebrates this “milestone,” some wonder if the underlying tensions that led to the takeover have truly vanished. With a history of lawsuits and union disputes, the department’s performance in the coming months will be the true test of whether these new “best practices” have taken root.
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