Chief Kenneth Ferrante was appointed Chief on October 27th, 2014 and sworn into the position on December 1, 2014. He is 46 years old, and is a lifelong Hoboken resident. His parents are retired Hoboken Police Captain Fred, who served the Hoboken Police Department for 32 years, and Patricia Ferrante.

Ferrante was hired as a Police Officer on June 11, 1993. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on June 12, 2003, then to the rank of Lieutenant on January 23, 2008.

Ferrante holds a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice on the Police Administration track from New Jersey City University which he attained in May of 2005. He also received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in May of 1999 also from New Jersey City University.

Ferrante’s awards include the Combat Cross for apprehending a suspect who had disarmed and injured officers. He also received the Honorable Service awards for quelling a riot and making arrests with no injuries to officers, and for apprehending a sexual predator who was extorting money from youths. He also received Exceptional Duty awards for busting a gambling operation while off-duty and attending classes at a local college, and for solving a Hit and Run with serious injuries at 4th and Monroe Sts. He also received multiple Commendations for his involvement at scenes of homicides, robberies, and missing persons.

Ferrante is also formally trained in many areas. He was trained in Dignitary Protection by the New York Police Department. He was certified by the Community Policing institute at the Bergen County Police Academy. He also attended multiple Crime Prevention courses. Other certifications include: DWI Recognition and Standard Field Sobriety Tests, DWI Breathalyzer operator and Alco-Test Operator, Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E. officer), Methods of Instruction (M.O.I. certified), FBI Intensive Supervision conducted at New Jersey State Police Training Facility, CPR Instructor Course conducted at St. Michael’s Hospital in Newark.

Some of Ferrante’s assignments have included: as a Patrol Officer, he was a Community police Officer and was also detailed to the Anti-Crime plain clothes detail. As a Sergeant, he was the Community Policing Unit supervisor. As a Lieutenant, at different times, he commanded the Uniform Patrol Bureau’s day, evening and midnight tours. He was also the Community Policing commander, as well as the School Resource Officers’ commander and the Hoboken Housing Authority day commander in 2009 and 2010.

Ferrante also was the commander for many high profile events which include: tour commander during the Super Bowl operation, uniform commander during three gun scenes in October of 2013, uniform personnel commander at scene of the search and arrest of a suspect wanted for a drive by shooting of a 70 year old woman in Jersey City, commander at the scene of the fatal fire at #2 Marineview Plaza, commander at the multi-dwelling fire at 70 Madison St, commander at the New Year’s day 11th and Adams St. fire, commander at the Mother’s Day 2011 PATH train crash, one of the south commanders for the Superstorm Sandy Operation, southeast commander for Hurricane Irene operation, waterfront commander for all of the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks shows on the Hudson River, and the Washington Street commander for six St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Lepre-con days.

Ferrante also had extensive union leadership experience as a two time P.B.A.vice-president and a two term, four year P.S.O.A. president. He also has extensive collective bargaining experience having served on six contract negotiation teams, chairing four of those committees.

Ferrante also taught law enforcement as an instructor for A&M Test Prep in Bloomfield, N.J., where he prepared police officers, sergeants, lieutenants, and captains for promotional exams and taught classes on Attorney General Guidelines, supervision, management, administration and incident command from 2004-2010. He has also taught part time for Bernstein and Associates since 2014, teaching the same classes as he did for A&M while also prepping Chief and Deputy Chiefs’ candidates from around the State of New Jersey.

Ferrante also holds great pride in having been a 1990 graduate of St. Peter’s Prep, where he was a Presidential Scholar and where, as a senior he was an all-state linebacker for the 1989 State Champion Marauders. He went back to be a coach for the school from 1991-2000, and again from 2011-2013.

Ferrante also served as the City of Hoboken’s Office of Emergency management coordinator in 2013 and 2014, leaving the post on the day of his appointment to Police Chief.

In his five years as Chief, he has created the HPD’s first ever Waterfront and Parks Unit in 2015 and the department’s first Emergency Service Unit. He has also tripled the size of the department’s Traffic Unit and doubled the size and hours of the Investigations Bureau.

In December of 2018, Ferrante became President of the Hudson County Chiefs of Police Association.