In May each year, the children preparing to start kindergarten classes attend a Kindergarten Workshop sponsored by the Long Hill Township PTO. At the Workshop, the children receive instruction on bus safety procedures by officers from the Long Hill Township Police Department.  Officers from the Detective Bureau are also on hand to conduct a voluntary child identification program.  The identification program provides each parent with a fingerprint card of their child for safekeeping.

 

 

• school bus policy,
• consequences of not following the policy,
• behavior during emergency situations.

 

 

The officers are there to try to narrow the gap between law enforcement and young people, to promote positive attitudes toward police officers, and to teach the value of our legal system so that the students will want to support and improve it  The officer just "hangs out" and tries to make contact with the students in order to open up informal dialogue.  If a student knows about a possible hazardous situation or is aware of another student in possible danger, it is much easier for him to share it with the officer in this environment.  And if the student wants to talk about concerns outside of the everyday school curriculum, we're there to listen.

The officer is not there to be a disciplinarian, a hall monitor, or to make arrests at the school.  In fact, he has no role in setting school policy, and stays out of the school's disciplinary process.  He is also available to teach violence diffusion, safety programs, alcohol and drug prevention and crime prevention whenever appropriate.