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Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, Assistant Public Safety Director Raul Malave, Chief of Police Darnell Henry and Chief of Fire Rufus L. Jackson welcomed 75 new graduates of the Department of Public Safety’s Citizen/Clergy Academy last night at Lighthouse Assembly of God in Newark.

During the 7-week training participants received pertinent information regarding the operations of the Newark Police and Fire divisions as well as the Office of Emergency Management (OEM).

This newest class of graduates also received a glimpse into how officers of the Newark Police Division are trained, how deployment decisions are made, the operations of the dispatch center, how calls for service are prioritized and experienced a “day-in-the-life” of a police officer.

The group also received training in the areas of crime prevention, gang awareness and domestic violence, and participated in “shoot don’t shoot” scenarios at the firing range using the Police Division’s new state-of-the-art Firearm Training System. This session was chronicled by Star-Ledger Columnist Barry Carter this spring.

Citizen/Clergy Academy participants learned how to devise a fire escape plan, how arson investigations are conducted and received training on the proper use of a fire extinguisher in the Fire Division’s training section. And the OEM treated the group to view its best equipment and to discover how OEM functions during catastrophic emergency situations. The class also toured the Department of Public Safety’s most intricate and sophisticated equipment, including SWAT vehicles, fire trucks, communication trucks and the use of robots.

“Newark has become a national leader in developing trust between police and community,” Mayor Baraka said. “The Citizen Clergy Academy is an important part of our strategy to bring residents and public safety personnel together. The Academy gives Newarkers the opportunity to understand the reality of how our police and firefighters work—something very different from what we see in nightly TV dramas. Understanding builds trust.”

“It’s exciting to see concerned citizens partnering with us to ensure the wellbeing of our residents and visitors,” Director Ambrose said. “A busy and progressive city like Newark thrives on community leaders who are both knowledgeable and willing, like today’s graduates, to support the cause of all facets of public safety.

Those interested in attending an upcoming Citizens/Clergy Academy training are invited to visit: www.npdonline.org, click the Police Division tab, click the Forms & Reports tab and scroll down to complete the online application.