Somerset County Hosts 'Personal Safety For High School Seniors'

SOMERVILLE, N.J. - Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano, Somerset County Police Academy Director, Dr. Richard Celeste, Interim Executive County Superintendent for Somerset County Schools Dr. Kathleen C. Serafino and Dr. Timothy Purnell, President of Somerset County Association of School Administrators (SCASA) announce that the Somerset County Police Academy will be conducting a community program entitled “Personal Safety for High School Seniors”.  This program will be open to all Somerset County high school seniors.

As high school seniors prepare to graduate, many will be leaving home for new and exciting educational opportunities and job opportunities in unfamiliar areas.  Some may remain at home in Somerset County taking advantage of our county’s many available resources and opportunities. In preparation for this exciting, post-graduation time, the partnership identified above will be offering a program titled “Personal Safety for High School Seniors” to prepare our local graduates for their new adventures, whatever they may be.  

The three (3) hour program will be offered twice.  Once on Wednesday,  May 28, 2014 and, again, on Wednesday, June 11, 2014.  Each class will be limited to 50 participants in each session.

Each session will commence at 6 p.m. and will be held at the Somerset County Emergency Services Academy (Police Academy) located at 402 Roycefield Road, Hillsborough N.J. 08844. Participants should dress in loose, comfortable clothing since the program will be both informative and interactive. It is also recommended that all attendees bring a bottle of water or other favorite hydrating beverage.

Covered topics will include victimization, predators, situational awareness, personal safety tips, identifying potential safety issues, dealing with a physical confrontation, being a good witness and basic unarmed defense techniques. It is the intended goal of this program to prepare our graduating seniors with an additional life skill set, namely, the ability to identify potential concerns in the real world and to provide suggestions and training on how to respond to those situations. 

Since 1987, the Somerset County Police Academy has developed a reputation for excellence in its Law Enforcement Recruit Training Programs, as well as its continuing education course catalog. The Academy has trained more than 2,100 new police and corrections officers for agencies across the state and has trained thousands of veteran officers through its continuing education program.  Additionally, the academy has provided personal safety training programs for over 3,000 citizen attendees.

The Police Academy is operated by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office in cooperation with the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office and the Somerset County Association of Chiefs of Police.

Each session is free but pre-registration is required by Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Parents are welcome to attend; however, they will be separated from their senior(s).

Individuals can register for the training by visiting www.scpo.net, and selecting the “Police Academy” tab.  Once at the Police Academy site, choose the “Register Here” tab, locate the class, and follow the on-line instructions. 

For more information contact DSG Lisa Gilmurray, Somerset County Police Academy at (908) 541-5034 or Gilmurray@co.somerset.nj.us

Community members are encouraged to “like” the Somerset County Police Academy on Face Book to get updates on law enforcement opportunities, safety tips as well as other educational opportunities.