City Of Newark and Ecpo Launch First Youth Public Safety Academy
Mayor Cory A. Booker, the Municipal Council, Deputy Mayor for Neighborhood Engagement Margarita Muñiz, Essex County First Assistant Prosecutor Robert Laurino, Essex County Chief of Detectives Anthony Ambrose, Acting Police Director Samuel A. DeMaio, Fire Director Fateen A. Ziyad, Fire Chief John Centanni, and other dignitaries launched the City of Newark’s first Youth Public Safety Academy, at the Police-Fire Communications Center, located at 311 Washington Street. The Youth Public Safety Academy is a joint project of the City of Newark’s Police and Fire Departments in conjunction with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. The mission is to educate participants about each agency’s primary functions and operations, with hands-on instruction and tours at training sites of the Police and Fire departments and the Prosecutor’s Office. Program participants will also learn how to report crimes, resist gangs and gang activity. Finally, they will learn how to prevent fires at home. During the first day of the event, students were able to get information at tables hosted by NewarkNow, the Essex County Prosecutors Office, and the Fire Department. NewarkNow also provided program participants with free t-shirts.
“This new program unites our Police and Fire Departments with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office in teaching our youth to manifest their own excellence by learning about personal safety, environmentalism, and that drugs, gangs, and violence are not the answer to solving problems. I commend the three partnering agencies on collaborating on this initiative to empower our youth,” Mayor Booker said. “This summer, we are offering even more opportunities for children to be involved in positive activities. Working together with our residents – including our youth – we will make our streets and City safer this summer.”
“The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is often seen as the last stop for those who have violated the law, but a core part of our mission is crime prevention. We believe exposing young people to the often sad consequences of crime and career options in law enforcement will help them to make better decisions in life. We are delighted to partner with the Newark Police and Fire Departments on this very important initiative,’’ said Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray in a statement.
“We are partnering with the Newark Fire Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office to teach our youth valuable life lessons about personal and public safety. This new program will benefit our youth not only as individuals, but also our entire community as a whole. Arresting drug dealers and gang members are only temporary solutions in our efforts to improve our City. We must unite as public safety agencies to engage our youth, to make them part of the solution to crime and violence. I commend all the partners on building this important program,” said Acting Director DeMaio.
“We are taking a holistic approach to addressing Newark’s public safety and youth engagement issues with this joint Public Safety Academy,” said Director Ziyad. “This class will engage and empower our City’s youth, and offer them information about personal safety and possible careers in public service.”
Currently 40 Newark youth between the ages of 10-14 are enrolled in the Youth Public Safety Academy. The students are coming from the North Ward-based Just One Soccer League and the South Ward-based FP YOUTHOUTCRY Foundation. Each organization is providing 20 students.
“I am so excited to welcome these young Newarkers to our first-ever Public Safety Academy,” said Deputy Mayor Muñiz. “You will learn so many valuable life lessons about personal safety, fire prevention, gang resistance, and career choices. I hope you gain everything you can from this important class.”
“This is a beautiful thing happening in the city of Newark. We are all coming together for these kids, for the future of our city. FP stands for Future Potential, and these kids are the future potential of our city,” said FP YOUTHOUTCRY Foundation Founder/CEO Al-Tariq Best.
“We are partnering with the Newark Fire Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office to teach our youth valuable life lessons about personal and public safety. This new program will benefit our youth not only as individuals, but also our entire community as a whole. Arresting drug dealers and gang members are only temporary solutions in our efforts to improve our City. We must unite as public safety agencies to engage our youth, to make them part of the solution to crime and violence. I commend all the partners on building this important program,” said Acting Director DeMaio.
“We are taking a holistic approach to addressing Newark’s public safety and youth engagement issues with this joint Public Safety Academy,” said Director Ziyad. “This class will engage and empower our City’s youth, and offer them information about personal safety and possible careers in public service.”
Currently 40 Newark youth between the ages of 10-14 are enrolled in the Youth Public Safety Academy. The students are coming from the North Ward-based Just One Soccer League and the South Ward-based FP YOUTHOUTCRY Foundation. Each organization is providing 20 students.
“I am so excited to welcome these young Newarkers to our first-ever Public Safety Academy,” said Deputy Mayor Muñiz. “You will learn so many valuable life lessons about personal safety, fire prevention, gang resistance, and career choices. I hope you gain everything you can from this important class.”
“This is a beautiful thing happening in the city of Newark. We are all coming together for these kids, for the future of our city. FP stands for Future Potential, and these kids are the future potential of our city,” said FP YOUTHOUTCRY Foundation Founder/CEO Al-Tariq Best.
Students will be picked up Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8:15 a.m. and transported to the class site, which will vary from week to week. The class will include field trips to such sites as the Police Department’s Firearms Range, Fraternal Order of Police Museum, the Fire Department Training Academy, the Essex County Crime Scene Unit in Orange, and the Greater Newark Conservancy, where they will participate in a Green Project with WNBA New York Liberty basketball team players at a chosen location. The children will receive free breakfast and lunch through the City of Newark Department of Child and Family Well-Being’s (SuNup) Summer Nutrition Program.
“Youth are often at great risk in times of fire,” said Fire Chief Centanni. “This class will help them learn the dangers and how to prevent fires in their homes. I applaud our entire public safety team on developing this important program.”
“When you have children at such an impressionable age, it is great to have three agencies providing this educational program in a safe environment. It will give them positive influences on how to deal with conflict resolution, peer pressure and personal and home safety. Our youth need to be educated in these areas. When they have that void, they become vulnerable to their environment and negative pressures,” said Police Capt. Susan Williams, who is coordinating the program through the Police Director’s Office.
“It’s great that we are involving Newark’s youth in programs with the Police Department, Fire Department, and Prosecutor’s Office. It’s important for our kids to learn how to collaborate with law enforcement authorities in matters of crime prevention and personal safety,” said Council Member-at-large Carlos M. Gonzalez.
At the conclusion of the program on August 11, each child will receive a certificate of program completion during a graduation ceremony which will be held in the Municipal Council Chamber in City Hall.
For 10-year-old South Ward resident Jhasaad Shiggs the program is an exciting opportunity to learn what he can to make a difference in his community. “I want to stop the shootings and I want the Police Department to teach me how I can make my neighborhood safer and cleaner,” he said.
“I feel great about the program. It’s showing they care about us. I’d rather be here than sitting on the couch doing nothing,” said 13-year-old South Ward resident Brianna Davis.
Since taking office in July 2006, the Booker administration has worked diligently with its public and private partners to empower Newark’s young residents with the tools they need to learn, grow, stay healthy, and achieve excellence. The City of Newark’s “Children’s Bill of Rights” is the basis for all youth initiatives. The Newark Department of Child and Family Well-Being’s Immunization program and the Kresge Foundation- funded Childhood Lead Poisoning initiative, are two examples of how the City is helping under-insured and at-risk families and children maintain good health. This also includes holistic programs supported by the City of Newark’s 13 Family Success Centers, which address a wide range of youth and family issues. Other initiatives, such as the Summer Youth Work Experience Program, the Youth Employment and Education Success Center, and the Newark Mentoring Coalition are working to provide Newark youth with employment and internship opportunities, as well as workplace and life skill development training.
“Youth are often at great risk in times of fire,” said Fire Chief Centanni. “This class will help them learn the dangers and how to prevent fires in their homes. I applaud our entire public safety team on developing this important program.”
“When you have children at such an impressionable age, it is great to have three agencies providing this educational program in a safe environment. It will give them positive influences on how to deal with conflict resolution, peer pressure and personal and home safety. Our youth need to be educated in these areas. When they have that void, they become vulnerable to their environment and negative pressures,” said Police Capt. Susan Williams, who is coordinating the program through the Police Director’s Office.
“It’s great that we are involving Newark’s youth in programs with the Police Department, Fire Department, and Prosecutor’s Office. It’s important for our kids to learn how to collaborate with law enforcement authorities in matters of crime prevention and personal safety,” said Council Member-at-large Carlos M. Gonzalez.
At the conclusion of the program on August 11, each child will receive a certificate of program completion during a graduation ceremony which will be held in the Municipal Council Chamber in City Hall.
For 10-year-old South Ward resident Jhasaad Shiggs the program is an exciting opportunity to learn what he can to make a difference in his community. “I want to stop the shootings and I want the Police Department to teach me how I can make my neighborhood safer and cleaner,” he said.
“I feel great about the program. It’s showing they care about us. I’d rather be here than sitting on the couch doing nothing,” said 13-year-old South Ward resident Brianna Davis.
Since taking office in July 2006, the Booker administration has worked diligently with its public and private partners to empower Newark’s young residents with the tools they need to learn, grow, stay healthy, and achieve excellence. The City of Newark’s “Children’s Bill of Rights” is the basis for all youth initiatives. The Newark Department of Child and Family Well-Being’s Immunization program and the Kresge Foundation- funded Childhood Lead Poisoning initiative, are two examples of how the City is helping under-insured and at-risk families and children maintain good health. This also includes holistic programs supported by the City of Newark’s 13 Family Success Centers, which address a wide range of youth and family issues. Other initiatives, such as the Summer Youth Work Experience Program, the Youth Employment and Education Success Center, and the Newark Mentoring Coalition are working to provide Newark youth with employment and internship opportunities, as well as workplace and life skill development training.
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