Isa Abbassi is a veteran law enforcement leader known for his progressive, reform-driven approach to policing. As the Executive Director of the New Jersey Office of Policing Strategy and Innovation (OPSI), Abbassi leads statewide efforts to modernize municipal policing, enhance training, and develop policy frameworks that prioritize community trust and public safety.
In 2024, Abbassi was appointed Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Paterson Police Department under state control and later transitioned to Public Safety Monitor, guiding reform and oversight during a critical period for the department.
Paterson, the third-largest city in New Jersey, has a crime rate higher than the national average. Abbassi, widely recognized for championing community-focused policing and violence-reduction strategies, shared with the Fulcrum why his leadership emphasizes transparency, accountability, and collaboration with local stakeholders.
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I spoke with Abbassi while on assignment in the Garden State, producing an episode of The 50, a four-year multimedia project in which the Fulcrum visits different communities across all 50 states to learn what motivated them to vote in the 2024 presidential election and see how the Donald Trump administration is meeting those concerns and hopes.
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"I thought it was important to have a road map, a path forward for the City of Paterson, which had undergone some tumultuous times," Abbassi said. Before assuming the role of ED in November 2024, he joined the Paterson PD in May 2023 as Officer in Charge (OIC).
Abbassi previously served as the Chief of Strategic Initiatives at the New York City Police Department, where he had served for 26 years. In that role, he oversaw policy changes and served as the primary advisor to the Police Commissioner on both short-term and long-term strategic goals.
Hugo Balta is the executive editor of the Fulcrum and publisher of the Latino News Network.
