Inaugural Citizen Academy Course
City of Linden Police Department
On December 7, 2022, Chief David Hart and members of the Linden Police Department gathered to celebrate the five members of our community who completed our inaugural Citizen Academy program.
The 8-week program met one night a week and offered participants valuable insight into a range of law enforcement topics including the Internal Affairs process, use of force guidelines, 9-1-1 Emergency Dispatch procedures, and crisis intervention. Participants also participated in hands-on practical exercises where students handled simulated motor vehicle stops, crime scene processing, and internal affairs.
“Many members of our community have little experience dealing with law enforcement, and as a result there are a lot of misconceptions about how and why we take the actions we do,” said Chief Hart. “Our Annual Youth Academy has been very successful at helping to bridge that understanding gap with our youth, and this program was developed to foster those same relationships with adult members of our community.”
“Participants particularly seemed to enjoy the interaction with our Police Officers and Dispatchers, and they all said they walked away with a much deeper understanding of the legal system,” said Det/ Sgt. Christian Ramirez, who developed and coordinated the program. “We are already working on improving and expanding the program for next year,”
Congratulations to this year’s participants: 2nd Ward Councilman Barry Javick, 7th Ward Councilman Ralph Strano, 5th Ward Councilman-elect Carlos Rivas, Linden Board of Education member Lymari Cintron, Rebecca Tattoli, and John Samsel.
Photo by City of Linden Police Department
