Bloomfield Has A New Top Cop; Ricci Takes Reins Of BPD

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The position of police chief carries with it an “enormous responsibility.” And according to Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia, he has no doubt that George Ricci is the right person for the job.

Ricci was promoted to the town’s top cop position during a ceremony at Oak View School earlier this month, becoming the 14th police chief in BPD history and the 16th law enforcement executive to lead the department.

Ricci – who has more than 25 years of experience on the job – started his law enforcement career in 1997 as a corrections officer for the New Jersey Training School for Boys. In 1999, he joined the Bloomfield Police Department and worked in the patrol bureau.

From that point on, it was a steady rise for Ricci in the BPD, according to the town website:

“Chief Ricci has always had a strong sense of community, and his career path has been guided by his desire to help young people. Early in his career, he attended D.A.R.E. school and was assigned to Fairview School, earning the Outstanding D.A.R.E. Officer Award. Shortly after, he became the Middle School Resource Officer. He was then promoted to Detective and assigned to the Youth Aid Bureau. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2011. As a Sergeant, he worked as a Patrol Supervisor and Youth Aid Bureau Supervisor. He eventually commanded the YAB as a Lieutenant in 2015. After being promoted to Captain in 2019, he commanded the Special Operations Bureau. In Special Operations, he was in command of the Traffic Division, Community Policing Division, Youth Aid Bureau, and Fugitive Apprehension Team. Due to his success with the Special Operations Bureau, he was reassigned as the Commander of the Detective Bureau. As Commander of the Detective Bureau, he oversaw many notable cases, which led to arrests for various crimes. He held that position until his promotion to the Chief of Police of the Bloomfield Police Department.”

“As we swear in our new police chief, we do so with a sense of optimism and renewed purpose,” Bloomfield Director of Public Safety Samuel DeMaio said, joining Venezia in praising Ricci’s experience.

“We are committed to working together to ensure that our police department is a model of professionalism, accountability and community engagement, and that our citizens can always trust that their safety and well-being are our top priorities,” DeMaio said. “I am in firm belief that Chief Ricci is ready to take the reins of the department and lead our men and women into a bright future for the department and the community we serve.”

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