MAYOR SOLOMON SWEARS IN 23 NEW JCPD OFFICERS, ADVANCING EFFORTS TO REBUILD POLICE STAFFING AND STRENGTHEN NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC SAFETY

Latest Police Academy Class Delivers on Administration's Commitment to Put More Officers on Patrol as Jersey City Continues Broader Overhaul of Public Safety Operations

JERSEY CITY, NJ (September 10, 2026) — Mayor James Solomon, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, Police Chief Robert Kearns, and the Jersey City Police Department welcomed 23 new officers as the latest Police Academy graduates took the Oath of Office during a ceremony inside City Hall Council Chambers today.

More than 80% of the new officers represent minority populations.  The added officers mark a significant step forward in Mayor Solomon's broader effort to rebuild JCPD staffing and strengthen frontline police services throughout Jersey City. Upon taking office in January, Mayor Solomon identified rebuilding the police force as a central component of his public safety agenda, with a focus on putting more officers on patrol, increasing police visibility in neighborhoods, and strengthening relationships between officers and the communities they serve.

"From day one, we committed to rebuilding our police force while also changing how we police, with greater accountability, smarter deployment, stronger neighborhood relationships, and a focus on results,” said Mayor James Solomon. “These new officers will play an important role in carrying that work forward. I want to thank County Executive Craig Guy for making this class possible and being a strong partner in keeping Jersey City safe."

Since January, the Solomon Administration has implemented a series of major changes to modernize public safety operations, including the launch of JC IMPACT, an intelligence- and data-driven accountability system; creating the city’s first-ever public crime data website to strengthen transparency and accountability, the reestablishment of specialized police units; rebuilding the Traffic Enforcement Division and Motorcycle Unit; expansion of the ARRIVE Together mental health crisis response program; and significant reforms to Jersey City's 911 communications system.

The additional officers provide JCPD with greater capacity to support those initiatives while strengthening the Patrol Division, which remains the backbone of day-to-day policing and the department's most direct connection with residents.

“Now that these newest officers have completed 22 weeks of training at the Hudson County Police Academy, they are ready to begin the next phase of their development and support the men and women of the JCPD who work every day to keep Jersey City safe,” said Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. “Over the coming weeks, they will build on their academy training through intensive field instruction and scenario-based exercises designed to prepare them for the real-world situations they will encounter on the job. We are also making sure each officer spends time with our ARRIVE Together program, so they are better prepared to recognize and appropriately respond to the mental health challenges.”

The administration first announced the new police academy class in January as part of Mayor Solomon's comprehensive public safety agenda. The plan called for rebuilding JCPD staffing while returning more officers to visible, neighborhood-based policing and strengthening the department's ability to respond to emerging crime trends and quality-of-life concerns.

Since that announcement, JCPD has increasingly used crime data, district-level intelligence, community complaints, and other performance measures to determine where officers and resources are most needed.

"These new officers are entering a profession that demands integrity, sound judgment, compassion, and accountability every single day. Once deployed, they will quickly get to know the residents and neighborhoods they serve, support their fellow officers, and uphold the standards of the Jersey City Police Department," said Police Chief Robert Kearns.

The newly sworn officers will be deployed to field training before being assigned throughout Jersey City's four police districts.