BY SOPHIA GONZALEZ
Staff Writer
Published April 2, 2008

The seventh- and eighth-graders braved a county jail, survived a crime scene investigation facility and stomached a gang violence presentation.

Members of the Northvale Junior Police Academy, they are the first 23 graduates of the 11-week program.

Patrolman Robert Pizzi and the Northvale Police Department launched the junior police force in January with the help of a $5,000 grant. "From the police chief down to the bottom," Pizzi noted the help of Capt. Vincent St. Angelo, Sgt. William Essman and teacher Sharon Vadovic in developing the program.

The goal of the academy was to introduce students to local law enforcement and to deepen the relationship between the middle school students and police.

"We definitely did notice a transformation," said Pizzi. "As corny as it sounds, it was just great to see them get more comfortable with the police department."

He said that he was pleased to see the students readily pose for pictures alongside fellow police officers at the graduation dinner, celebrated two weeks ago with nearly 130 guests.

During the program, the students received program binders and sported black T-shirts to every class. Officers then instructed students to fingerprinting and crime scene investigation. The program also included a DWI parent night and a special gang and drug use awareness presentation from prison inmates.

"I think their personal favorite was the jail trip, [although] I’m sure not all the parents would agree with it," said Pizzi.

He said that the Northvale Junior Police Academy will "definitely run in October because the program is successful," anticipating an added trip to the Bergen County Police and Fire Academy in Mahwah and a class on patrol techniques.

The only obstacle, said Pizzi, continues to be program funding.

But at the ceremony, Council member JoAnn Traub of the Municipal Alliance presented the Junior Police Academy with a $650 check. Rockleigh Mayor Nicholas Langella pledged his financial support as well, saying that "whatever Northvale goes for I will match it."

"What I hope to do now is work on the [academy’s] structure and to give them more of a feel for law enforcement," said Pizzi.