90 Cadets Graduate West Orange Junior Public Safety Academy

WEST ORANGE, NJ – The West Orange Junior Public Safety Academy recently held a ceremonial sendoff for 90 cadets of the 2021 class.

Parents, family members and town officials fill a gym at Liberty Middle School on Friday to support their junior public safety academy students.

The program is free for West Orange youth between the ages of 10-14 and is run by Sgt. Edwin Diaz of the West Orange Police Department. The two-week course encourages responsible citizenship, good peer behavior and communication skills.

"We are grateful for the opportunity this program presents in bringing our police officers and the community together with meaningful interaction. In many ways it solidifies our commitment to public safety by raising awareness among our youth as active participants," said West Orange Police Chief James Abbott in a prepared statement.

During the ceremony, two recruits received special recognition. Donoven Sully received the Jack Case Award for the Most Improved Recruit and Milexly Santana received the Timothy Groves Award for Most Outstanding Recruit.

At the close of the ceremony Officer Scott Smarsh received an special surprise token of appreciation from the class for his 21 years of service to the program.