Two retired police officers — one from the Lyndhurst Police Department and another from the Union City Police Department — have been hired as Special Law Enforcement Officers Class III/school resource officers to provide assistance to the LPD’s SRO program.
“These officers provide a trained, experienced law-enforcement presence in the schools to protect from significant outside threats while working in conjunction with the police department and schools in order to respond swiftly and cooperatively when there are substantial disruptions or criminal offenses occurring at the schools,” the department said in a statement.
The first two officers to be hired are Officer William Peer, a retired lieutenant from the Union City PD, who started here in September and Officer Anthony Alexander, a retired detective from the Lyndhurst PD, who started in October.
To be hired as a Special Law Enforcement Class III officer, one must be a retired law enforcement officer, 65 or younger, who is then hired and trained by the local police department. The officers are an armed presence in schools who wear a Lyndhurst PD uniform.
The Class III Special Police Officer only works when school is in session and must possess a School Resource Officer certification and be DARE/LEAD certified.
“The Class III Officers are not meant to become involved in the daily business and management of the schools. Administrators, teachers and support staff continue to be responsible for handling the daily operations of the schools and classrooms including routine disciplinary matters,” the department said. Instead, “the Class 3 Officer’s role is to provide an additional layer of school security.”
The department says the officers have clearly articulated roles and responsibilities, appropriate training and high levels of communication between the schools and police department. The goal is to extend this relationship in order to protect students and staff even more effectively in the future.
They follow the policies, procedures, and rules and regulations of the Lyndhurst Police Department as well as all New Jersey Attorney General Guidelines.
Mayor Robert B. Giangeruso and Chief Richard L. Jarvis Jr. are both staunch advocates of the program.
“The Township of Lyndhurst is thankful for the strong partnership that exists between our police department and the Lyndhurst Board of Education,” Giangeruso said. “The appointment of special law enforcement officers will surely provide an additional layer of security in our schools. I am proud to announce that Officer William Peer and Officer Anthony Alexander will be our first ever Class III Officers this school year. Both are experienced and highly trained police officers who have recently retired from full-time police work.”
Jarvis agrees.
“Over the years, the Lyndhurst Public Schools and our police department have enjoyed a very cooperative relationship,” the chief said. “Both organizations understand the value of keeping students and staff safe within a supportive learning environment. The value of having these officers in the schools is that they are experienced, trained law-enforcement officials who will work in conjunction with the mission of our school resource officer.”
The two new Class III officers will rotate about all Lyndhurst schools. They join Sgt. Steve Passamano, who is currently the LPD’s SRO (on active duty).
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.