FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Puglisi

December 17, 2008 973-621-2542

Elizabeth Moore

973-621-4442

ESSEX COUNTY VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL STUDENTS

RECEIVE HANDS-ON POLICE TRAINING

AT ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE POLICE ACADEMY

Students are members of the North 13th Street Tech Law and Public Safety Academy

Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. announced that juniors and seniors in the Law and Public Safety Academy at the Essex County North 13th Street Tech Campus in Newark received a first-hand experience in police training when they became Cadets for a Day at the Essex County College Police Academy in Cedar Grove. The students participated in police vehicle training, the Firearms Training Simulator and a physical fitness regimen similar to training received by actual police cadets. The seniors went to the police academy on Wednesday, December 17th and juniors will go on Thursday, December 18th. The Essex County North 13th Street Tech Campus is part of the Essex County Vocational-Technical School District.

“By participating in actual law enforcement training exercises, our Vocational Technical students learned what police cadets experience. Their involvement at the Police Academy - from using state-of-the-art technology to taking part in physical fitness drills - helped them gain a better understanding of careers in law enforcement,” DiVincenzo said. “These student visits show a partnership that exists between the Vocational Technical Schools, Essex County College and the Essex County College Police Academy,” he added.

The Essex County Executive also addressed the students about careers in public safety. “The experience that you’re having today might help you choose your career of a lifetime. You actually see what they’re going through. Enjoy your day here and if you decide to go this step, this is a great career,” he said.

As part of the hands-on training, students used the academy’s Driving Simulator to experience the movement and feel of driving a police vehicle and learned what skills are needed when on patrol, under the direction of Caldwell Police Sgt. Michael Pellegrino. They also used the Firearms Training Simulator, a machine that simulates firing an actual weapon. The students responded to a computer program that mimicked actual gun recoil and provided feedback on their firearms skills with the help of Rangemaster Jeff Sutherlin, a retired sergeant with the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. They also participated in physical fitness training, and performed exercises that promoted strength and agility, under the supervision of Physical Training Instructor Sgt. Peter Burgess of the Irvington Police Department.

“For students who want to enter a law enforcement profession, this experience enables them to actually see what cadets learn at the Police Academy,” said Myrna A. Velez, Law and Public Safety Teacher at North 13th Street Tech. “It’s something different they would never have gotten exposed to,” she added.

Senior Karin Tavarez said she got a first-hand glimpse of what it takes to become a law enforcement officer. “They were really dedicated. Everything was in unison. It was great to see them working together. It gave me a different perspective because I’ve never actually seen what they had to go through to get there. I appreciate it more,” she said.

Tavarez, who hopes to become a lawyer, said her favorite part was using the Driving Simulator. “It feels like you’re driving an actual car. You have to react quickly. It was fun,” she said.

Students must apply and be chosen to become members of the Law and Public Safety Academy at North 13th Street Tech based on their grades and academic performance.

The Essex County Vocational Technical School District is New Jersey's oldest and largest Vocational Technical School Systems. Created in 1914, the school system provides both occupational and academic instruction for high school and adult students in the Essex County region. The district has four high schools: Bloomfield Tech, Newark Tech, North 13th Street Tech and West Caldwell Tech. In addition, the system provides adult programs in the evening at Newark Tech, and during the day at its Adult Training Center at 50 South Clinton Street in East Orange. The district has an enrollment of about 2,200 students and provides high level state-of-the-art occupational skill development and academic opportunities in over 25 career areas.

For more information on Essex County’s Vocational Technical Schools, call 973-412-2284 or www.essextech.org.

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