The Bayonne Police Athletic League (PAL) held its third annual Law Enforcement Day at their summer daycare camp late this morning into the early afternoon.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
The Bayonne Police Department, Hudson County Sheriff’s officers, and
New Jersey State Police officers all participated in the event.
Bayonne PAL Executive Director KT Torello said that the point of the event is to counteract the “defund the police” messaging young kids are bombarded with on social media apps such as TikTok.
The children attending the daycare center were all dressed in blue for the day.
“We’ll pick three winners who represented the blue the best,” Torello added.
“The PAL is a special place for us. It’s something we’re proud to support. We have not only the Bayonne police, but also state police and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department,” Bayonne Police Chief Robert Geisler explained.
Bayonne Police Officer Melissa Morales, a part of the Juvenile Aid Bureau, asked if the kids wanted to be police officers and several raised their hands.
She explained that some of her colleagues were Bayonne Police Explorers in a junior training program, with a detective later noting that a police helicopter would be flying over, while the boat on display belonged to the state police.
Additionally, Hudson County Sheriff’s K-9 Officer Jeffrey Neilan brought out K-9 Officer Bill, a Belgian Malinois breed.
“It all comes from a form of good obedience,” he explained regarding his behavior as she retrieved a stick.
“Everything to dogs is a game,” he noted, later stating that the K-9s are trained to detect drugs. He also lifted Bill up on his back while he had a chew toy toy in her mouth and swung him around, much to the children’s delight.
Then they were shown another Belgian Malinois, Ares, an explosion detections dog. He examined a box to ensure there was no danger and then received treats for doing so.
Ares is also trained to attack criminals if necessary.
“When the sleeve he was trained to attack was displayed, his intensity and drive increased … his job is to bite one time and hold on to the day,” his handler said.
Children who drew pictures of the police and the K-9s were lauded, regularly receiving words of encouragement throughout the day.
“Wave to a cop when you see them in the field,” Bayonne Police Sgt. Steve Rhodes said.
Before the day was over, the children met another dog, Thor, a German Sheppard narcotic dog, who showcased his skill by detecting a bag hidden behind the tire of a car. They also got to see inside the police vehicles and hear their sirens go off.
The PAL has always been a great program. My children were members of the camp and the basketball program for years. The folks that ran and now run the program are terrific loving and caring. This program that I read about will I hope and pray will make the children better and not be afraid of police officers. Good job PAL and Bayonne police God bless you all and thank you for keeping us safe.