Blue For Good: Garfield Police Release
/Garfield Police Release
By Sgt. Jeff Stewart
Flambeau tackle boxes Giveaway
The Garfield New Jersey Police Department Community Affairs Division gave away over 150 Flambeau tackle boxes filled with fishing gear to Garfield kids this holiday season. This was thanks to a partnership with the Ike Foundation aimed at hooking kids in urban areas on fishing and not crime and drugs. The Ike Foundation, founded by Pro Bass fisherman Mike “Ike” Iaconelli, a native of New Jersey, has also been a sponsor of our Annual Cops and Bobbers (cops and kids) fishing event held in Garfield every April.
Grand Opening Garfield Community Engagement Center
The Garfield Community Engagement Center hosted its grand opening in May 2019. The center is the home office to the Garfield Police Department’s Division of Community Affairs, as well as a community space for classes, meetings and programming. The center is a unique and first-of-its-kind, functional space where Garfield residents of all ages can gather to learn, grow and build a sustained community. Aside from the Garfield School’s Life Skills Classes for their 18- to 21-year-old students, older adults and community partners have also been using the center. In addition, healthy homes workshops, home safety strategies, interfaith council meetings, an opioid abuse art exhibit and nutrition education have been held at the Engagement Center. The Community Affairs Division Headquarters situated in this same space also gives the Garfield Police a more visible presence in the housing community, addressing residents’ safety concerns.
The center is made possible by the Garfield Housing Authority, the Garfield Police Department's Community Affairs Division, Generations for Garfield and the remarkable cross-agency collaboration that takes place in Garfield. The creation of this “third place” that is not home and not work has been an opportunity to fill a void for residents who need this particular kind of support in their community.
Most recently, the center has been host to “Breakfast with Alex.” Alex is one of Garfield's students who has been spending his mornings practicing life skills at the center this year. He hosted his first guest for breakfast, Officer Luis Vasquez from the Fair Lawn Police Department, on January 16th. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, bagels and coffee were all on the menu, as well as collaboration, education and friendship!
