a panel of state appellate judges has ordered the Attorney General's office to end its takeover of the Paterson Police Department and return control of the department back to the city the appellate court found the AG's office did not have the authority to take over the police department in a decision that raises questions over what Authority the state does have to take control over local departments in the future the judges did make one exception allowing the state and County takeover of Paterson's Internal Affairs division to continue Patterson mayor Andre Sayegh touted the decision as a major win for his City saying in a statement it reaffirms our City's authority to manage its own police department and sets up a precedent for all municipalities across New Jersey that the responsibility of the police department rests on the local officials elected by the people now the order doesn't take effect immediately and the Attorney General's office is taking the case now to New Jersey Supreme Court asking the high court to pause the change while they appeal the case attorney general Matt platkin said in a statement the state has spent Millions on the Patterson Police Department since taking it over and he touted a drop in crime in the city since then platkin saying for decades super session has allowed both Attorneys General and County Prosecutors to directly manage law enforcement agencies when the circumstances call for it as they did in Paterson when our office stepped in following a fundamental breakdown of Community Trust adding we remain deeply committed to Paterson and to The crucial work of making the city safer for all its people people including as this wrongful decision is appealed [Music]