SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Fourteen residents graduated from the Fall 2019 South Brunswick Citizen Police Academy.
This is the ninth class to graduate since the program was restarted in 2015, according to information provided by the Chief Raymond Hayducka of the South Brunswick Police Department.
Madhavi Bathula, Mushi Bhuiyan, Jennifer Byron, Ankush Chugh, Jennifer Kanski, Samantha Karbownik, Pallavi Katta, Deepak Katte, Jean Moses, Sameer Pradhan, Arunkumar Paulraj, Ashok Son, Cynthia Stanger and Rajesh Yagnamurthy were instructed in a variety of police topics including criminal law, traffic enforcement, first aid, patrol tactics and criminal investigations. Students took part in hands on training on how police process crime scenes from photographing to dusting for fingerprints. In the final practical’s, participants took on roles as police officers and applied the knowledge they learned from the class to handle various situations, according to the statement.
“These 14 community members have completed the required 11 weeks of classroom and practical exercises to graduate from the Citizen Police Academy. This experience provides individuals from our community a unique perspective on policing. The academy also strengthens the relationship between the officers and the community. It is an invaluable experience for everyone involved,” Hayducka said in the statement.
On Dec. 7, Citizen Police Academy alumni held a meeting to discuss how to help the community during the holiday season. This meeting also included a tour of the South Brunswick Food Pantry. There, they learned how the food is distributed, items that are always needed, and when the pantry starts preparing for the holiday season. Alumni brought non-perishable items with them to the meeting to donate during the tour, according to the statement.
Applications are being accepted for the Spring 2020 South Brunswick Citizen Police Academy, which will begin on March 12. Classes will be held every Thursday night in the training center at police headquarters for 11 weeks from 6:30-9:30 p.m. There will be no class on April 16th for Spring Break.
Graduation from the academy is set for May 28.
The academy size is limited, so residents are encouraged to complete their application as soon as possible. Community members must complete an application and go through a screening process. Interested community members should contact Julie Trammell at [email protected]. Applications must be submitted by Feb 20.