For Robert Kazimir, the Woodbridge Township Senior Police Academy was an eye-opening experience.
Whether visiting a police training center or accompanying an officer on patrol, Kazimir said he gained invaluable insight into the work of law enforcement.
The ride-along was among the most exciting components, he said.
“We rode with a police officer for two hours, and in two hours we had a first aid call, pulled over a couple of speeders. … And just to see in two hours what they are exposed to is amazing,” Kazimir said. “I have a greater admiration for their work.”
Kazimir was among 25 “senior police recruits” to graduate from the five-week program during a June 1 ceremony at the Woodbridge Community Center. The academy, which offers a firsthand look at the operation of the Woodbridge Police Department, law enforcement activities, and crime prevention programs and initiatives, was a central part of the Woodbridge Township Senior Month program, according to John Hagerty, township spokesman.
Kazimir said he signed up for the academy based on word of mouth.
“I belong to the Woodbridge Township Senior Billiards Club, and a couple of people had taken the last class and said it was really educational, it’s fun, and it’s something I should get involved in,” Kazimir said. “So I signed up for the next class.”
Police Detective Joelle Slossberg began the Senior Police Academy in 2012. She said about 20 to 25 seniors sign up each year, free of charge.
“It’s a five-week program, run one day a week in the morning where we do a bunch of different things,” Slossberg said.
The program includes a tour of the Police Department in Town Hall, a two-hour ride-along with an officer and a visit to the firearms training facility, she said.
Other components include a seminar on how to avoid scams, a talk on burglary awareness and a CPR lesson from first aid squad members.
The program also includes a visit to either East Jersey State Prison in Rahway or the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick, Slossberg said. The visit to the jail includes a talk by the Lifers Group, composed of 13 inmates who have been convicted of felony murder.
Kazimir said one of the most memorable days was when his class visited the Middlesex County Police Training Center, Edison, where they were engaged in a response to a simulated home invasion. He said his wife, also a participant, used precise aim in “shooting” the intruder after he pointed a gun at her.
“Everybody, including the police officers, was amazed,” Kazimir said.
Overall, he said the program was great and that most of his classmates wished it went on longer.
“It gave me great exposure and understanding of exactly what police work is like,” Kazimir said, adding that he learned to be more vigilant about certain situations.
Slossberg said the reaction to the program has been universally positive.
“They all love it. I haven’t had someone tell me they haven’t loved it,” she said. “It is something they can share with their families.