---

The Asbury Park Police Department [APPD] welcomed six new members Tuesday to its Citizens On Patrol [COP] branch at a small graduation ceremony held in the Senior Citizen Center on Springwood Avenue.

COP is an all-volunteer division of the police department. Its members patrol the streets to increase police presence several times a week to help further the reduction of crime.

New volunteers Robert Palubinskas, Rosina Walker, Brendan Pack, Nelson Ferreira, Wesly Taveras and Ronald Deitl now make the COP unit 18 members strong.

“I commend the new members and the existing members for taking time out of their lives to contribute to the community,” said Officer Michael Casey, who is the lead organizer for the COP program.

“I’m looking forward to working with everyone,” said Police Chief Mark Kinmon.

All six new volunteers were given a certificate for successfully completing their training, a pin, a flashlight and a small book to take notes in along with a shirt, a hat and a jacket with the COP insignia emblazoned on it for uniform.

Palubinskas, a housing inspector who works with the city’s code enforcement department, said he joined COP for “knowledge.”

“I work with the city and I like to know what I’m dealing with,” he said. “I’m also a homeowner and I like to know what is going on in my town.”

Walker said she wanted to do some volunteer work with the police department and decided involvement in the COP program would be a good way to do her part. She has plans to study criminal justice at Brookdale Community College and would like to become a police officer.

“It’s an interest I’ve had for a while,” she said, “since I was young.”

A recent talk from APPD Captain Tony Salerno about the city’s street crimes unit piqued her interest, she said.

Asbury Park’s COP program got its start in 2003. City resident Lawson June, who was involved in a neighborhood watch program at the time, led the effort.

“We started out on foot with just a little flashlight,” June said.

Ten years later, COP now has three vehicles at their disposal. Two are former APPD police cruisers. The third is a 2013 Ford Explorer [at right]. The SUV was purchased through a $30,000 grant made possible through local nonprofit organization Interfaith Neighbors.

Minimum service requirements for residents involved in COP are four hours a week per week for a minimum duration of two to four months.

“We’ve had quite a few experiences over the years, but we just keep plugging,” said Lawson. “Some members put in at least 16 hours a week.”

To become part of the COP branch, volunteers must first attend a once-weekly academy for about eight weeks before they begin their patrol where they learn about the different factions of the police department and the challenges each one faces. Volunteers also take a trip to Freehold to tour the courts and county jail.

“Everybody’s favorite part is the county jail tour,” Kinmon said.

The only unit left for the six new inductees to learn about was the K-9 unit, made up of a 5-year-old German Shepard named Bishop and Officer Dan Newman. The six volunteers finally met them at the celebration.

Bishop is “one of the best tools we have to combat narcotics,” Newman said.

Canines and their handlers go through a nine months of training five days a week before they begin their duty together, he said. The two now attend in-service training sessions every two months to stay sharp.

Kinmon said the K-9 unit has helped the department collect $40,000 in forfeited cash from drug related incidents this year. The money is used for training and equipment.

Anyone interested in joining COP can contact Officer Michael Casey at 732-775-6124.

[Photo at top: New COP volunteers, from left to right,  Rosina Walker, Robert Palubinskas, Ronald Deitl and Nelson Ferreira.]

————————————————————

Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook and Twitter.

---