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Hackensack council abolishes police director post, restores powers to police chief
Summary
The Hackensack City Council adopted Ordinance 3-20-26 on Feb. 17, 2026, abolishing the police director position and restoring statutory powers to the police chief; council also advanced a police table-of-organization to add a fifth captain to improve span of control.
Hackensack's City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 3-20-26 on Feb. 17, 2026, eliminating the police director position and returning operational authority to the chief of police.
The move followed a presentation by Chief Antista, who said the department is growing and needs a command structure that supports accountability and oversight. "As chief of police, my focus is simple: build a department that's proactive, accountable, and deeply connected to the community that we serve," Antista said during the meeting.
Council members questioned specifics of the department's proposed table of organization, including where a new fifth captain would be placed and whether promotions would come from within the department. "Currently, you have 4 captains, and you wanna add a fifth captain," a council member asked. Chief Antista replied that the change is a realignment to improve span of control, pointed to a roughly 20% increase in calls for service since 2019, and said the city's plan is to promote from within and provide a revised table with position descriptions.
The ordinance was put through its second and final reading and adopted by roll call (ayes recorded). The council also approved a related table-of-organization change that adds the fifth captain position; the chief agreed to provide a revised, labeled table and job descriptions to the council for review.
Why it matters: Restoring powers to the police chief alters the department's leadership structure and clarifies who holds executive authority over operations. Council members framed the change as preparation for future growth and oversight improvements rather than a critique of current personnel.
Council next steps: The chief will submit a revised table of organization with position descriptions; the council confirmed the ordinance passed its final reading and the amendment to the department's command structure will be implemented according to the city's personnel process.
