Several township police officers were sworn-in, and others promoted, at a Tuesday celebration in Irvington.
IRVINGTON -- In a local church packed with dozens of attendees and township officials, 18 Irvington police officers were honored today in a promotion and swearing-in ceremony.
Seven recent graduates from the Essex County Police Academy were sworn into duty, while 11 veteran officers received their official promotions.
The ceremony represents the latest step in the city's attempts to rebuild the police department's depleted ranks. In 2011, the department laid off 31 officers due to budget cuts, bringing its total to 132 officers. The number of sworn officers currently working for the department was not immediately made available.
PREVIOUS: Police vet allegedly tried to run down Newark councilman
The department is scheduled to hire an additional nine officers after their expected graduation from the county academy next year, said Police Chief Michael Chase.
Also in attendance was recently rehired township police director Tracy Bowers, who left the department in February 2015 seven months after Mayor Tony Vauss first appointed him to the position.
A 25-year-veteran, Bowers retired in February to build and manage a law enforcement and security consulting company. In the months that followed, the department was overseen by township business administrator Musa Malik and the man Bowers replaced, contract consultant and former township police director Joseph Santiago.
Following Bowers departure, Vauss told NJ Advance Media that he would look for candidates from outside the department as replacement. But an expansive search never materialized, Vauss confirmed Tuesday.
"I needed someone who knew the players, who knew the structure, who could get things done right away," Vauss explained following the ceremony. "I didn't want to go through a long drawn-out process of searching when I already had a viable candidate who previously held the position."
After several failed attempts, Vauss said he managed to persuade Bowers to take his old job as head the police department. Bowers returned Sept. 1 and was confirmed by the township council later in the month, Vauss said.
"I couldn't refuse the offer to come back and work for the department that I know and in a town I love," Bowers said. His salary compensation was not immediately made available.
Bowers returns to a department still working to resolve a number of internal issues, including including public complaints from some officers over the reinstatement of Chief Michael Chase despite the lack of resolution on dozens of administrative charges against him, and the suspension of a recently promoted captain for allegedly attempting to run down Newark Councilman John Sharpe James.
Maurice Gattison, president of the Irvington Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, said he's confident that Bowers will work toward resolving the department's issues.
"He knows what's needed to steer us in the right direction," Gattison said. "I'm sure he'll take care of every matter that needs to be addressed."
The seven promoted officers are: Sgt. Douglas Polk, Sgt. Taj Jackson, Sgt. Ana Perez, Sgt. Tiffany Charles, Sgt. Jerry Ramos, Sgt. Akilah Jenkins, Sgt. Sheyla Marquez-Zepeda.
The newly sworn-in officers are: Darrell Lewis, James Dorval, Dwight Jackson Jr., Sidney Barnes, Amiri Ricketts, Darrell Perry, Kabierah Outlaw, Zhane Morgan, Peter Rosemy, Edwin Pierre and Jeannette King.
Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.