RAHWAY, NJ — Rahway’s Police Department is at the forefront of internalizing instruction for its officers in the new state-approved jujitsu training course. Led by Sgt. Scott Rayack, who has a black belt in jujitsu, training is currently underway at the Rahway Recreation Center to prepare select officers to be assistant trainers when the full program launches in January.
Rahway’s program will not only provide training on alternatives to traditional methods used by law enforcement, but it will also serve to educate command-level personnel on the techniques officers will utilize when force is needed to control a person who needs medical assistance, arrest a subject who is physically resisting the officer’s control and defend themselves from an attack.
The creation of the program comes as the state’s Police Training Commission has approved new benchmarks and guidelines for defensive tactics training for its new recruits. Although probationary police officers for the Rahway Police Department will learn these tactics while at the John H. Stamler Police Academy in Scotch Plains, experienced Rahway police officers will undergo several training sessions yearly under the instruction of Rayack.
Rahway Police Director Jonathan Parham said he is looking forward to providing Rahway’s police officers tools that will enhance their safety, as well as the safety of the public. Having the training available in house is not only convenient but comes with significant cost savings.
“With our own Sgt. Rayack leading the training, Rahway does not have to outsource this to local martial arts schools. We will be using confiscated funds to transform unused space in the basement of the department into a training center,” the director said.
“We have been working hard over the last few months to audit our own police policies and practices and make any necessary changes where gaps exist,” said Parham. “Martial arts training builds officer confidence, reduces officer and subject injuries, and has been proven to be a critical factor in the officer’s ability to utilize de-escalation techniques before resorting to force. The officers deserve the best training and the citizens of Rahway deserve the best service. This is one of the many ways we are realizing our commitment to the delivery of equitable and just police services.”
Photos Courtesy of Lauren Ferrigno