Summit Police Honored For Outstanding Achievements

SUMMIT, NJ — Summit Police Department was among more than 30 law enforcement agencies to be honored for their outstanding achievements and innovative approaches in community policing by Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino on Monday.

Demonstrating their efforts to go above and beyond to reach out to the Summit community, the police department has created many different programs that target all ages, such as the Safe Seniors program, DARE program, youth police academy and more.

For teens in high school, the department created the OM3D program, which stands for one moment three decisions. It incorporates and shows high school students the results of drunk, drug or distracted driving.

The Summit Police Department is also very active on social media to reach out to its community. They have even created a "Summit Street Smart Safety" series on that airs on YouTube.

The award ceremony was held at Rutgers University’s Livingston Campus Student Center in Piscataway and featured video presentations and a panel discussion from selected law enforcement agencies showcasing their programs that could readily be duplicated and might serve as a model for other police departments.

“I firmly believe that a successful community policing program is far more than uniformed police officers walking the beat,” said Attorney General Porrino. “Rather, it’s an overarching strategy that depends on the collaboration between police departments and community groups working together to identify and solve local neighborhood problems. ”

Awardees:

• Atlantic City Police Department
• Belleville Police Department
• Camden County Police Department
• Camden County Police Department – Lt. Jeremy Merck
• Carney’s Point Township Police Department
• Cinnaminson Township Police Department – Officer Michael Czarzasty
• Cumberland County Law Enforcement Community Engagement Series – Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, Vineland Police Chief Tim Codispoti (Ret.), Bridgeton Police Chief Mike Gaimari, Millville Police Chief Jody Farabella, Cumberland County Sheriff Robert Austino
• East Brunswick Police Department – Patrolman Craig Hoover
• Edison Police Department
• Emerson Police Department
• Evesham Township Police Department
• Highland Park Police Department
• Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office
• Jefferson Township Police Department – Lt. Paul Castimore, Det. Joseph Kratzel, T/O Rodger Davis, SRO Christopher Fabian and SRO Joseph Hale
• Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office
• Midland Park Police Department
• Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office
• Montclair Police Department – Lt. Tyrone Williams, Officer Paul Rusiniak, Officer Travis Davis, Officer AnJennette Sanders and Officer Garth Guthrie
• Morris County Park Police Department – Patrolman John Eckert
• New Jersey State Police – Trooper I James Bambara
• New Jersey State Police – Trooper I Storm Colleton
• New Jersey State Police – Trooper II Reinaldo Cruz
• New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police – Chief William Parenti, President
• Newark Police Division
• Park Ridge Police Department – Sgt. James Babcock
• Parsippany Police Department
• Paulsboro Police Department
• Perth Amboy Police Department
• Riverside Township Police Department – Captain Hans Jaensch, Patrolman Timothy Marano, SLEO Michael Hynes
• Roxbury Township Police Department
• Rutgers University Police Department
• Summit Police Department
• West Deptford Police Department - School Resource Officer David Jiles
• Westampton Township Police Department
• Woodbury City Police Department – Patrolmen Carl Villone, Alex Phillips, Nick Cacciola, Joe Wills, Will Sheehan and Joseph Duffy
• Woodcliff Lake Police Department