"I always wanted to be able to help people and keep people safe," said the 23-year-old Herrera, who has called North Bergen her home for the last five years. "I wanted to be able to keep things in order. I was always open to challenges and I seriously started to give real thought to becoming a police officer a few years ago."
Thomas Yfantis had similar hopes and dreams, only a little closer to home. The North Bergen native and North Bergen High School graduate (Class of 1996) was pursuing a life in law enforcement since he was a toddler. "Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a cop," Yfantis said. "It was a dream all my life."
So three years ago, Yfantis signed on to become a member of the Hudson County Sheriff's Department police force.
Herrera and Yfantis are two of the six new police recruits that will eventually become members of the North Bergen Police Department. They took their oaths Wednesday, administered by Mayor Nicholas Sacco, and received their badges.
While Herrera and her four comrades will spend the next 22 weeks attending the Jersey City Police Academy to become prepared for the challenges of being a police officer, the 30-year-old Yfantis will become a patrolman within the next week or so, after he partakes in some in-house departmental training. In getting hired as a sheriff's officer three years ago, Yfantis had to graduate from the police academy. So he's spared this time around.
"I can show them a lot of support and offer advice about the academy," Yfantis said. "They just have to stick together and pull each other through."
The six new recruits are very educated and well versed, offering a diverse ethnic background.
In fact, Yfantis speaks both Greek and English. Herrera, the department's 10th female member, is fluent in both English and Spanish.
Diverse backgrounds
Recruit Antonio Tataranni, a resident of North Bergen for more than 23 years and also a North Bergen High grad, speaks both English and Italian. Yusef Yousef, 24, a North Bergen High grad as well, is fluent in Arabic. The other two officers hired were 31-year-old Christian Argudo, who is a veteran of two tours of duty in Iraq with the United States Army, earning the rank of sergeant, and 23-year-old Nicholas Galliano, a graduate of High Tech, who is working toward obtaining a criminal justice degree from Rutgers University. Galliano was previously a special officer for the Cliffside Park Police Department.
"It is a diverse group, but it usually turns out that way," North Bergen Police Chief William Galvin said. "It is our first opportunity to hire someone who speaks Arabic and we do have a growing Arabic population. But in reality, it's nothing new, hiring bilingual officers."
The new officers will begin at an annual salary of $22,500, with Yfantis receiving more because he has already worked three years in law enforcement.
There was a need for new officers, because the department just lost four members to retirement and another who made a lateral move to another department.
"We also anticipate six more to retire at the end of the year," Galvin said. "So we're going to have to hire again then. We want to stay within the goal of 120 to 125 members."
The six hired this week brings the current total to 120, a far cry from a few years ago, when a lawsuit filed by the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People (NAACP) put a hiring freeze on police officers, causing the departmental total to drop below 100.
"Gradually, we're getting the department to where we would like it to be," Galvin said.
Galvin said it's a huge help to get an experienced new member like Yfantis, especially with the summer months at hand and officers wanting to take vacations.
"It's a tremendous plus at this time of year, because we're always limited in our man power," Galvin said. "We've known Tom for a long time. He's already been indoctrinated with us, working with us several times when he's been with the Sheriff's Office. He's going to hit the streets running. We've watched him mature and he's going to be a fine addition."
"I always wanted to get the chance to work for this community," Yfantis said. "Why not work where you grew up? It's a great place to live and work. I'm excited to get the chance to start right away."
Herrera moved to North Bergen from Miami after meeting her future fiancée Matthew Sinisi while vacationing here, who works for the North Bergen Parks Department. She says that she looks forward to the challenge of being a female police officer.
"I'm open to many challenges," Herrera said. "I think it's such an honor and I will try to serve as a role model." "It's a good group," Galvin said. "We have someone with military background, college background. I think it's great we're able to bring them aboard."
Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at either OGSMAR@aol.com or jhague@hudsonreporter.com
Post a Comment