After nearly 80 years of volunteer service from the police reserves under the Police Auxiliary Program, the Lyndhurst Police Department has transitioned to SLEO 1 officers in accordance with guidelines set forth by the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police Accreditation program.
At a recent Board Commissioners meeting, Mayor Robert B. Giangeruso swore-in a group of new officers.
The Lyndhurst Police Special Law Enforcement Officer 1 program is comprised of volunteer adults who are trained to perform various duties, including but not limited to, serving as school marshals, providing traffic/crowd control at civic events, performing uniformed patrols in the community, parking enforcement and community policing activities.
In addition, the officers will be called upon to serve during severe storms, states of emergency, local emergencies and township events.
The new officers are John Ross, Ayman Awaad, Hector Negron, Domenick Sellari, Kierstyn Ross, Sarah Attia, Nicolas Bizien, Joseph Mango and Nicholas Mazzaccaro. Ross, Awwad, Negron, Sellari, Ross and Attia became SLEO I officers after having served with the police auxiliary unit.
While some of the volunteers choose to become a SLEO I officer and use it as a stepping stone to a career in law enforcement, others join simply to serve their community.
“We offer valuable life experiences as well as excellent training opportunities. Many of our former auxiliary officers have become full time police officers throughout the state,” Giangeruso said.
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