Cinnaminson Ramps Up Community Policing Efforts With Junior Academy

Continuing its rampant efforts to beef up community policing in Cinnaminson, the here is offering its first youth police academy at the end of this month.

Organized and led by Officer Michael Czarzasty, the academy is geared toward students who will learn public safety, defensive tactics, firearms and much more.

“They are going to learn anything a police officer does throughout his or her career,” Czarzasty said. “It pretty much sums it up in a week. We have a lot of information but we make it fun too.”

Czarzasty is no stranger to community policing. Last year, he created the (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program for the town’s sixth-graders and raised money to . He helps with the first-grade reading program, participates with adopt-a-cop, and is now heading up the junior police academy.

Public Safety Directory Michael P. King, who is about to hit his with Cinnaminson, brought the idea to Czarzasty.

“Mike has done a great job even before I came here,” King said. “I have to give him such kudos. I just thought it was a great idea. I gave him the green light and he just ran with it.”

Czarzasty researched similar junior police academy programs in the state and came up with a program.

“It’s pretty comprehensive,” he said.

There are spots for 18 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students. Other Cinnaminson officers are involved as well as former instructors at the county police academy.

“They will learn criminal law, motor vehicle law and the dangers involved, crime scene investigation, a K9 demonstration (), and more,” Czarzasty said. “We’ll also do team-building activities and go over leadership and try to boost their confidence.”

is donating golf carts to learn DWI measures while using fatal vision goggles.

Czarzasty has said in the past, and reiterates, the importance of involving the community with the police department—especially beginning at a young age.

“When [kids] see us, they don’t understand the full aspect of what a police officer does,” Czarzasty said. “When you show them, we develop a good relationship with the kids.”

When the school district and department had to cut a full-time resource officer at the here, King encouraged a daily walk-through of the schools.

“Kids come up to the officers, they acknowledge them,” King said. “With the resources we have, that’s the next best thing.”

A few weeks ago, Czarzasty headed up the second annual DARE carnival to culminate the yearlong program. Kids enjoyed the State Police helicopter, Air Force members, a trailer with four video game systems, pedal carts, face-painting, inflatable obstacle course, music, food and more.

And on the schedule next is Cinnaminson’s first ever National Night Out, a community-policing, awareness-raising event held nationwide on the first Tuesday in August.

“I’ve always been a big proponent of it,” King said.

This year’s event will be at the police station and Aug. 7.

“Walk your streets,” King said. “Let everybody know this is our neighborhood.”

Police officers will also be on hand to talk about their efforts as of late, including upgrades to the department like .

“A lot of times, people that live in Cinnaminson, they know their immediate neighbors but the idea is to know a lot of their neighbors,” Czarzasty said. “It’s a good thing to know what is going on in the neighborhood. We’re trying to get it out there.”

King said the more outreach the department does with the community, the better. And they aren’t stopping there.

“I still have tons of ideas in my head,” Czarzasty, a Cinnaminson native, said. “It’s a well-deserving community. The more things we offer to them, the better relationship we have.”