North Bergen Swears In Largest Class of SLEO II Officers

NORTH BERGEN, NJ – North Bergen marked a historic moment on January 2, 2025, as the township welcomed its largest-ever class of Special Law Enforcement Officer Class II (SLEO II) recruits. Eleven recruits took their oaths in a ceremony held at Town Hall chambers, surrounded by family, friends, and community members.

The new recruits—Christopher A. Castillo, Mark A. Cerqueira, Gabriel V. Choche, Moufid Hatoum, Jason J. Lopez, Enrique Marrero III, Kayleen Ocasio, Sebastian Perez-Messina, Nicholas Pino-Riquelme, Sandy E. Santos Jr., and Jeffrey Santos-Garcia—were sworn in by Mayor Nicholas Sacco.

Mayor Sacco expressed pride in the recruits, highlighting their role in strengthening the township’s public safety efforts. “This class represents a significant step forward for our community and the future of law enforcement in North Bergen,” he said.

The ceremony drew local officials and community leaders, including Commissioner of Public Safety Allen Pascual, Police Chief Robert Farley, Commissioners Anthony Vainieri and Claudia Rodriguez, County Commissioner Bob Baselice, and Assemblymember Julio Marenco.

The recruits will now begin their training at the police academy.