Last week, the Nutley Police Department invited students from grades 5-8 to participate in its 12th annual Junior Police Academy, held at Spring Garden School. During the free week-long program, led by Lieutenant Michael Padilla, the students learned basic police fundamentals including marching, self-defense and crime scene processing; experienced working with the Nutley Fire Department and EMS Squad; and took the time to help the Nutley Family Service Food Bank and visit the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford.

“I want to congratulate these kids for the great work they’ve put in over the past week,” said Commissioner Alphonse Petracco, Director of Public Safety. “I want to thank Lieutenant Mike Padilla, who does an amazing job and shows up for these kids every year. Another special thank you to all the students, police officers, firemen, EMS and staff who volunteered their time to make this program the best it can be. Every time I come here and see the wonderful things the children have learned, it really warms my heart. Some day, these children are going to become police officers, senators, or start working at a big company—but I want to remind them to never forget where they came from. Nutley is a great town.” 

Lieutenant Padilla was pleasantly surprised at the ease of graduation day and the program in general, but he credits all of it to the kids and the amazing support he had from volunteers throughout the program. “Believe it or not, this is the first time that I’m not really labored with my voice. Usually at this point I’m just hoping everyone can hear me. But that’s because these kids really did such a great job this week. It was awesome,” he explained. “I’ve also had a lot of great squad leaders over the years, but I’ve never had such a strong group of them. Like these kids were ready to get stuff done right from the get-go. They jumped in, asked questions, and handled things,” he added. “Today was probably the easiest day that I’ve had since I started doing this. But again, it’s due to the support I’ve been given to do it and to the people who showed up to get things done. All our officers come out to do what they can and show up, even if it’s for 15 minutes with your kids, because it’s important for them to feel safe with us.”

This year was particularly special for the program as it featured a visit from a special guest, former heavyweight champion of Cage Fury Fighting Championships and ESPN’s 2024 Coach of the Year, Plinio Cruz. The Brazilian mixed-martial-arts coach runs his own studio on East Center Street in Nutley, called Cruz MMA, where he offers various classes that focus on self-defense and commonly trains police officers. Cruz visited the Junior Police Academy during their self-defense demonstration and led small groups through a few drills. Cruz praised the program for exposing the students to different areas of police work, emphasizing the importance of empowering young children. Paul Carnicella of Carnicella MMA also dedicated his time and supplied pads for the kids to work with. Both Carnicella and Cruz offered free lessons to all academy recruits. 

Eighth graders Mia Sessoms and Mia DeLuca were among some of the older students who stood out among the group as role models for the younger kids. 

Being in the program for three years, Sessoms described how she has enjoyed seeing the program change over the years, while still emphasizing the same core values. “The trips are getting better and better. First it was the Liberty Science Center, then the Intrepid Museum, and now American Dream, which are progressively getting more fun. It makes me excited to see what’s to come in the future,” she explained. “At the same time, I’ve learned so much discipline. My attention span has gotten so much better since our phones are almost always in our bags. I would definitely recommend the program to other kids because besides the trips and stuff, it’s actually a lot of fun.”

Even though DeLuca only participated in the program for two years, she was grateful for the experiences and all the fun she got to have with her friends. “My favorite thing I learned was probably how to bandage a wound because I think that could be really helpful in the real world,” she described. “I think this program is important because if more kids learn about this stuff, then they’ll be better prepared and more likely to understand what these professionals really do.” DeLuca encourages others to join the program because “you’re going to learn a lot, you’re going to meet a lot of new people, and you’re going to have lots of fun.” 

Lieutenant Padilla shared similar sentiments about the program, explaining how important it is for young people to learn to live in the moment and be present. “You would be surprised at the conversations we heard and the friends that they had an opportunity to make, all because they were present,” he described. “They’re leaving here different kids, but that’s up to them to continue. They know how to listen, how to be patient, and how to learn. So, never set the bar low because they have the potential to rise to every challenge they meet.”