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Detective Lt. Thomas Greeley beamed with pride as the 2019 group were graduated on Saturday.
The boys and girls embarked on a rigorous training and instructional routine led by Greely last Monday.
Over the next six days, they became familiar with the basic tenets and principles of respect, both for themselves and one another, Deputy Police Chief Gregory Halstead said.
“They were taught that one is virtually impossible without the other,” Halstead said.
The recruits also learned that there are real-world ramifications for being late, he added.
They began at 9 a.m. sharp each day by breaking formation and participating in rigorous exercise – pushups, leg raises, running, and jumping jacks, the deputy chief said.
Then came sessions during which the students learned about one another, discussed different aspects of police work with several officers and participated in training exercises that covered proper handcuffing, motor vehicle stops and safety, he said.
There were field trips, as well – to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, to Newark Airport to meet Port Authority police and firefighters and to the New Jersey State Police training grounds in Sea Girt.
PHOTOS: Courtesy ENGLEWOOD PD
The instructors, in addition to Greeley, were Sgts. Kenneth Londahl-Smidt and Oscar Hernandez, Detectives Michael Chapman, Stacey Cook and Byron Aguayo, Officers Adolfo Gutierrez, Jerel Hammond, Jaime Gillert, Rene Laraia, Luana Sharpe, Jason Mejia, Anthony Gallo, James Reed, Sean O’Hara and Jordan Migliore.
“It was a joy to see kids waking up early each day to come be a part of a program that includes being yelled at,” Hammond said.
“It didn’t take long for the students to realize that the officers care enough about them to teach them basic principles of life,” he added. “They understood that the yelling wasn’t for negative discipline but was instead, intended to instill and reinforce positive, life-assisting habits.”
One of the most impressive aspects, Halstead noted, was the number of students who returned from previous years.
“This speaks volumes about the program,” he said.
For his part, Greeley thanked parents for allowing the officers to help their children.
The lieutenant also told graduates and parents alike that his door is always open to those who want to move on to other programs or need some kind of help.
PHOTOS: Courtesy ENGLEWOOD PD
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