Cadets get up close to N.J. State Police copter at Gunnell Oval.
KEARNY –
Last Thursday evening, 50 youngsters — ages 11-13 — received their diplomas as proud graduates of the Kearny Police Department’s Junior Police Academy Class of 2015.
Organized by the Community Policing (COP) Unit, this marked the seventh year for the summer program, which continues to grow in popularity. In previous years, the average number of enrollees was 30. This time, as noted, there were half-a-hundred — and nearly as many had to be tuned away. There had been 90 applicants.
While there are some “fun” aspects to the eight-day academy — such as a visit from the N.J. State Police Northstar helicopter (it landed at Gunnell Oval) and a chance to watch the Newark PD Mounted Unit in action — even those had a serious purpose: To introduce the kids to all manner of law enforcement — local, county, state and federal.
This is the sort of police outreach program that could stand as a model for communities across the country.
As in a boot camp, the cadets begin learning discipline on the very first morning, Aug. 3. They learned to march and to drill, they learned to obey orders, to be quiet when told to, to answer “SIR! YES, SIR!” when spoken to. And they learned to challenge themselves through daily phys-ed training.
Most days started at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 3:30 p.m. And, except for lunch hour, every minute was filled with law-enforcement educational opportunities.
Seminars and/or demonstrations (most held at Lincoln School) were provided by representatives from the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, the state Attorney General’s Office, the Hudson County Corrections Department, the Medical Examiner, the state Fire Marshal, the Kearny Fire Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the State Police, the FBI’s SWAT team, the ATF, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Marshals’ Service, the Jersey City PD Bomb Squad and the N.J. Division of Fish & Wildlife (see separate story on that on p. 12).
On Thursday morning, the cadets were taken to the 9/11 tribute museum on the former World Trade Center site. (We’ll have a story on that next week.)
Back in Kearny, they had a one-hour written exam covering the seminars and a one-hour physical exam — both of which they had to pass if they wanted that diploma.
TOP: Learning what it feels like to be an FBI SWAT officer. CENTER: At the
Bergen County Police Academy in Mahwah. BOTTOM: Kearny firefighters visit Academy.
They had every reason to be proud of their accomplishment.
Reason for pride also belongs to the COP Unit personnel who put the whole thing together: Sgt. Adrian Marques and Officers Jack Grimm, Kevin Canaley and Steve Montanino. The logistics, the scheduling, were beyond daunting.
Case in point: On the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 11, the youngsters were to be bused to Jersey City for an N.Y.C. Harbor cruise aboard an N.J. State Police Marine Unit boat — a highlight of each year’s academy.
But on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 11, it rained. Not a little rain — a deluge, with strong winds. The boat cruise had to be cancelled at the last minute. But the COP cops would not be discouraged. They arranged for the cadets to visit an actual police academy — the Bergen County Academy in Mahwah.
Speaking for the COP unit, Canaley praised the Bergen County officers for their help and hospitality. He also thanked Applebee’s, Arlington Pizza, the Bagel House, Bella Re’s Pizza, the Fire Pit and ShopRite for providing lunches for the kids. “WalMart was fantastic, too,” he added, noting that it had provided all the notebooks, pens and other school supplies for the academy.
And when we spoke to him Thursday afternoon before the awarding of diplomas, he had yet another thank you. The FBI SWAT officers who were guest speakers the previous week had sent a huge Domingo’s Bakery sheet cake, enough to feed 100 people, to the school as a surprise treat for the grads.
“And we didn’t even ask for it!” Canaley said.
