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    1. Safety & Security

    Ten high school seniors graduate from inaugural PANYNJ Police Department youth academy program

    July 20, 2022
    The pilot program included hands-on police training experience in areas such as investigations, physical training and team building.
    Related To: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
    PANYNJ
    Panynj 62d8167a85a8d

    The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s (PANYNJ) Police Department (PAPD) graduated 10 students from its inaugural youth academy on July 15.  

    The weeklong program introduced the students to the real-life training that PAPD officers normally experience as part of their preparation to become Port Authority police officers.  

    The Youth Academy Program arose from a comprehensive report by the Port Authority’s Leadership Steering Committee on Race Dynamics, which outlined 25 actions and recommendations to be implemented as the agency continues working toward new standards of excellence in achieving racial and cultural diversity in the workplace. 

    “As an agency that prides itself in providing a safe, secure environment for the traveling public, we are pleased to give our young people a taste of what a law enforcement career is all about,” said Port Authority Chief Security Officer John Bilich. 

    Those recommendations included fostering increased engagement between the Port Authority and the communities which the agency serves. The graduates were seniors from Barringer High School in Newark, N.J., and the High School for Law Enforcement and Public Safety in Queens, N.Y. The program aims to increase PAPD diversity by drawing on local communities in the New York and New Jersey region, along with focusing on the agency’s efforts to assure that the communities surrounding its major facilities and redevelopment projects benefit the Port Authority’s activities. 

    “The Youth Academy will help develop our future leaders by introducing them to the skills and experiences needed to succeed,” said Port Authority Police Superintendent Edward T. Cetnar. “We wish them well as they continue to pursue extraordinary opportunities in the law enforcement field.” 

    The weeklong program also focused on laws that govern police, investigations, physical training and defensive tactics. As part of the curriculum, students were instructed on the history of the PAPD, departmental structure and emergency response and first aid, physical fitness and team-building skills. Students received demonstrations from a range of law enforcement and emergency response units, including several PAPD investigation bureaus, fire and safety units, counterterrorism experts, and the K-9 unit.