Guttenberg began a junior police academy for students seven years ago to break down misconceptions about cops and to interest the community in law enforcement careers.
Sgt. Victor Conversano, Jr. has been running the program since then, but this year’s academy was the first to span an entire week. The 44 cadets got a taste of what officers go through in the police academy and were taken on field trips to see the different aspects of public safety departments. The program ran from June 22-26.
Conversano said that this year’s program had been in the works for months, but that he would not have been able to do it alone. Police Officers Leonardo Ramirez, James Hosie, Joseph Keselica, Shandell Barker, Michael Meawad, Jeffery Lugo, and Hudson County Prosecutors Office Det. Carolyn Cook volunteered their time.
“If we can instill something positive in them now, maybe down the line here in 10 years from now they’ll be the future person doing my job and that would make it all worthwhile,” said Conversano.
Drills and town government
Conversano said that the cadets’ first day was an orientation introducing them to military drills that officers learn during the academy. Ramirez recently completed drill instructor class, and the students from Anna L. Klein School were his “first class in using it.”
Students learned the slogan of the Guttenberg Junior Police Academy and shouted “honor, respect, commitment” when told to do so,. They were told that if they did not, push-ups would follow.
Hudson County Correction Officers visited the cadets with their K-9 police dogs and demonstrated how they search for narcotics.
They also visited Town Hall, where they met Public Safety Director Michael Caliguiro, Capt. Joel Magenheimer, and Town Clerk Alberto Cabrera.
Caliguiro told them that he recently retired as a captain of the West New York Police after 29 years. He told them when he was growing up, people believed police officers to be “dumb,” but that education for police was important as for any other profession. He praised students that were bilingual and told them to foster their language skills.
“You may not like [the officers] right now and you may not like the way they treat you, but I assure you come Friday if you graduate, you’ll find out you not only met a police officer, but they’ll become your best friend for the rest of your life,” said Magenheimer.
Cabrera explained that the business of the police, town, and courts occurs within Town Hall. He gave them a rundown of government functions and told them that regardless of whether they become police, the more important lesson to learn was work ethic.
Women in blue
Conversano decided to choose a young woman, seventh grader Kaylee Hernandez, as the commanding officer (C.O.) for the police academy.
Hernandez said that she joined the academy because her father is a police officer in Morris County.
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“You know the interesting thing is that I didn’t expect to get this number of girls because its predominantly male-based, so the girls so far have surprised me,” said Barker. “They’ve come out, they’re ‘squared away’ in the terms that we refer to as their ‘on’ time, they’re neatly dressed, they’re following orders, [and] they’re great leaders so far.”
Hernandez said that she joined the academy because her father is a police officer in Morris County and she wanted to see what it was like. She was happy to be chosen as the C.O. and said she learned that “if you want something, you have to go for it.”
Caliguiro said that police departments need women on them.
Field trips
Cadets visited the Picatinny Arsenal on Tuesday and the Marines showed them their barracks and a simulated rifle range.
Wednesday they went to Teterboro Airport, where the Port Authority Police showed students their emergency crash truck for airplanes. That afternoon, they took a tour of the Hudson County Corrections Facility.
A public safety day was arranged on Thursday, where Weehawken E.M.S., North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, and The Hudson County Sheriff’s Department set up stations to inform students. A local auto shop donated a car to be “chopped up to show them how they use extrication tools,” said Conversano.
Friday was filled with physical training competitions, a pizza party and graduation.
“I’ve always been interested in policemen,” said Axel Montanez.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.