Community Police Update
Following a series of lengthy conversations with members of our community, The South Brunswick Police Department has taken decisive steps in keeping our community members safe in the event that they encounter an active shooter. These conversations, held with residents, business leaders, and houses of worship, all asked how the SBPD can be more responsive to the needs of our community members. The South Brunswick Police Department has long valued the partnership we share with our community, but has recently developed a more focused outreach program. While residents, businesses, and houses of worship each had their own unique challenges, a common concern shared by all involved the perception that active shooter incidents have increased in frequency and severity over the past few years. Our community members all asked the question “What should we do if…?”
The SBPD has partnered with our school district on matters of safety and security for nearly two decades, and have played an important role in assisting the district with security planning, training faculty and students, and observing security drills. In response to the question “What should we do if…?”, we have taken our expertise in school security and developed a program designed to train community members in what to do if they face an active shooter. The program, named Active Shooter Awareness and Preparedness, or ASAP, prepares our community members for the worst case scenario of encountering an armed attacker. The 60 minutes spent in this presentation can offer a greater sense of awareness for attendees, and present them with options useful in assessing a dangerous situation, making a plan, and staying safe until police arrive on scene and control the situation.
The South Brunswick Police Department has set a goal of presenting the ASAP program to 5000 individuals by the end of 2019, and we are off to a great start. Almost 100 businesses have been approached regarding the program, with nearly two dozen sessions already presented, and a dozen more in the planning stages. The presentation is free of charge to any business, community group, or house of worship within the Township of South Brunswick. Anyone interested may contact the SBPD Community Policing Division regarding this program via email at PDComPol@sbtnj.net, or by calling Lt. Gene Rickle at (732)329-4000 ext. 7459.
In addition, the SBPD offers many services to our business community including security assessments of your facilities, an assessment of your security procedures, and a review of your designated response to critical incidents. We are also receptive to meeting with you regarding any other relevant law enforcement related topics important to your business. The South Brunswick Police Department takes our responsibility for crime prevention seriously, and are fully committed to providing our businesses the very best in consultation and instruction.