Middlesex County Women Kick Butt in R.A.D Class

The Middlesex Sheriff' Office first Rape Agression Defense Program was a success, it seems. Nearly 30 woman from across the county participated in the R.A.D program, held Jan. 9-11 in Chelmsford.

The three-day class, which teaches basic women's self-defense, was taught by instructors from the Sheriff's Office and the Billerica, Concord, Tewksbury, and Chelmsford Police Departments.

The woman were as young as 16 and as old as 63. And, by all accounts, they kicked some butt.

“I want to thank all of our instructors and partners for their work,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian. “R.A.D. is an incredible program that combines classroom education with dynamic hands-on exercises, which prepare women - both mentally and physically - to be able to respond in threatening situations.”

R.A.D. was founded in Virginia in 1989, and last week's group of women are part more than 900,000 who have taken part in it to date.

“The feedback we have received from participants in our first class has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Koutoujian. “We look forward to growing the program and continuing to support existing classes across the county, as we have for the past year.”

To learn more about the the R.A.D. Program, contact the Office of Community Affairs at 978- 495-7408 or go to the website.

Courtesy photo of R.A.D. Instructor Ken Doucette and a participant