28 police officers that will be part of the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, Bayonne, Harrison, and Jersey City Police Departments graduated the first class of the Hudson County Public Safety Training Center today.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“We are proud to offer training now to our future public safety officers, and in time hopefully cadets from outside our County,” Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise said in a statement.
“This first class represents the culmination of our long-held goal to bring this kind of training here to our county to make the public safety training process more efficient, cost effective, and in keeping with our values as a community.”
The new County Public Safety Training Center is housed in the former County Youth Detention Center in Secaucus which closed nearly a decade ago thanks to new approaches to juvenile detention that allowed consolidation with Essex County due to declining youth detention rates in the region.
The building was refurbished to comply with state standards for public safety training facilities and already had plenty of classroom space for instruction and office space for faculty and administration.
The Center’s administration staff are: Mark G. Miller, Director; Ralph Scianni, Training Coordinator; Loyad Booker, In-Service Traing Coordinator; Brian Coyne, Range Master; Jennifer Newumann, Chief of Administrative Services; and Karen Brazicki administrative assistant to the Director.
The instructional staff include: Officer Jarely Viera, Lead Instructor, JCPD; Lt. Martin Perez, JCPD; Sgt. Mark Fabbricatore, BayonnePD; Detective Francesco Scibetta, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office; Det. Gino King, JCPD; Det. Joanna Kierce, JCPD; Officer Peter Cardella JCPD; and Officer Deana Mendez, Bayonne PD.
The members of the inaugural class of the HC Public Safety Training Center are as follows:
1st SQUAD
Gianina Ocasio, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office Jared Hoholick, Harrison Police Department Bryan Jeffries, Jersey City Police Department Michael Keating, Jersey City Police Department
2nd SQUAD
Denzell Leitch, Jersey City Police Department Joel Matias, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office Thomas McGuckin, Bayonne Police Department
3RD SQUAD
Anthony Camejo, Harrison Police Department Randy Perez, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office Jason Petrakian, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office Brianna Rhodes, Bayonne Police Department Jonathan Rivera, Jersey City Police Department Justin Rivera, Bayonne Police Department Tanya Roberts, Bayonne Police Department
4TH SQUAD
Hadis Sela, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office Vanadie Rodriguez, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office Hector Sosa, Jersey City Police Department Patrick Toal, Jersey City Police Department Angelica Vargas, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office Kevin Vasquez, Bayonne Police Department
The Class Platoon Leader was Cadet Kristina Rivera of the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office.
Awards for academic achievement, marksmanship, operation of an emergency vehicle and awards for physical fitness were presented to cadets by their instructors in those fields. Director Miller presented the Outstanding Trainee and Robert D. Melson Merit Award.
Additionally, the Cadet’s Oath of Honor was administered by Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez. Suarez, Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari, and Hudson County Board of Commissioners Chair Anthony Vainieri (D-8) each addressed the class, while Minister Tawana Moody, the Jersey City police director, provided the Invocation and Benediction.
While only five designated family members or friends were allowed to attend the ceremony due to COVID19 related restrictions still in place, those not in attendance were able to view the ceremony remotely through a live stream provided to them.
