3 students commended for cleanup at complex
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

DAVE BENJAMIN Jackson officials recently honored three McAuliffe Middle School pupils for their service in the Youth Crime Watch of America chapter at the school.

JACKSON - Students who are members of the Youth Crime Watch of Amer-ica were recognized for a service they recently performed.

According to the organization's Inter-net Web site (www.ycwa.org), "with programs across the United States and in countries around the world, Youth Crime Watch demonstrates that young people can make a difference in keeping their schools and communities safe from crime, drugs and violence."

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Township Council, Jackson Police Officer John Pejoski said, "On April 21, Ken Sable, Nick Sable and Kevin Shambaugh of the Youth Crime Watch of America (chapter) at the McAuliffe Middle School participated in the National Youth Ser-vice Day sponsored by State Farm Insur-ance. They walked around the Jackson Justice Complex picking up cigarette butts, empty water bottles and assorted garbage that had been left on the ground or blown by the wind."

The effort was sponsored by local State Farm agent Andy Weinstein.

Mayor Mark Seda said the cleanup at the Justice Complex was a one-day event for which the youths volunteered to help clean up the area.

"It teaches them responsibility," he said. "Officer Pejoski does a great job in getting that across to the students and I congratulate them all."

The Youth Crime Watch of America is a national program that was developed after a sexual assault occurred to a female student in Florida 25 years ago, Pejoski said.

Since then the organization, backed by several presidents and the U.S. Department of Education, has expanded to more than 30 states and nine countries. Jackson is the only school district in the New Jersey to have implemented the Youth Crime Watch of America program.

"The program has been very successful," Seda said. "John has done an outstanding job in putting together a program to help train these kids as it pertains to [a] crime watch."

The mayor said Pejoski spends a great deal of time with the youngsters discussing what he does as a police officer, how he operates and what the significance is of learning at an early age the responsibilities of becoming an adult.

It is a tool that breaks down barriers, Seda said, adding, "That's where the teaching comes in. It's more than working for a common cause, just to clean up a park. The kids learn that the officer is one of their friends. He helps them go out and do the job."

Seda said the program removes barriers that may exist between young people and the police and helps the youths understand that an officer is someone they can go to for help and someone they can trust. It also helps in a variety of different aspects during the school year, the mayor said.

"You'd be surprised that kids come to him and say, 'Officer John, we have a problem,' " Seda said. "Those kids are doing this or that, where they normally wouldn't tell anyone."

The mayor said the Youth Crime Watch of America is an excellent program that helps to make young people aware of what is happening in their community and to make them aware of the potential dangers that can exist in any town.