NJ takes over Paterson police after crisis worker's shooting

[MichMan]

5. All the major cities I have lived in manage and operate their own water systems and police depts.

Elected local officials accountable to the voters are entrusted to manage them to the benefit of all residents. Water departments set their own rates, hire staff, and pass bonds to finance capital improvements. The bonds are paid with revenue from rates. Unless the Chief of Police is directly elected, Mayors and City Councils are responsible for managing the department and setting policies.

If there is police misconduct in Paterson, why aren't those entrusted by Paterson voters (Mayor & City Council) able to provide oversight & initiate reforms, just like every other city does?

If voters elect incompetent leadership, they have the power to "fire" & replace them with those who can do the job they are elected to do. Otherwise, one would have to assume that Paterson (or Jackson MS) voters can't be trusted to choose their own representation and therefore should lose their rights of local governance.