P.D. receives donation to continue civilian police class State Farm donated $1,500 for residents to experience police work BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer KATHY CHANG John Gatto (center) of the State Farm Insurance company in Metuchen, presents a check for $1,500 to Patrolman David Liantonio (l) and Capt. Robin Rentenberg. The money will go toward the Police Department's annual Civilian Police Academy. METUCHEN - The borough police department received a donation of $1,500 last week from State Farm Insurance for the department's annual Civilian Police Academy. John Gatto, owner of the State Farm Insurance office in Metuchen in the Bridge Pointe business complex, and John Baldino, public affairs specialist for the insurance company, based in Parsippany, presented a check for $1,500 to police Capt. Robin Rentenberg and Patrolman David Liantonio on Sept. 14. "This money is definitely a big help," said Rentenberg. "Without this money, we wouldn't be able to do what we do with the academy." The police department formed the 12-week Civilian Police Academy five years ago for residents to see what police officers do day to day. Residents 18 years old and older can participate. "We've had a resident as old as 84 years old participate in the academy and have 18-year-olds who are interested in law enforcement," said Rentenberg. State Farm Insurance has donated $1,000 each year to the Civilian Police Academy since 2005. "We're happy that we can provide more money this year to the civilian academy," said Baldino. Liantonio reached out to the insurance company in 2005, since the company is an active leader in the community to help ensure that children are buckled safely, intersections are safer, homes are stronger, and much more. Rentenberg said they were able to purchase supplies, including imitation guns, flashlights and handcuffs. Liantonio added that prior to the funds, they relied on their own handcuffs. "We teach them the technique of handcuffing, and some class members would get stuck and we would have to find the key," he said. This March, the department will begin its sixth class. "The class is very interactive and takes residents through all aspects of law enforcement," said Rentenberg. "We do a lot of hands-on activities, including a crime scene where residents learn what to do and what not to do if they happen upon a crime scene." The class includes trips to the firearm training simulation [FATS] at the Middlesex County Police Training Center in Edison, where class members can use real guns and go through different scenarios. Metuchen police provide various lectures by borough police officers including topics on drunken driving and pepper spray, and put residents in different scenarios, including a murder trial. Members of the police auxiliary, first aid squad and fire department come in and present lectures to the class explaining what they do. The class also gets to see an arson dog in action with its handler and observe the inside of a state police helicopter. Rentenberg added that they will try to have the drug- and bomb-sniffing dog, which the Edison Police Department recently acquired, come in for a class. Residents can find out more about the academy at the Civilian Police Academy table that will be set up at the Metuchen Country Fair on Oct. 6. Academy applications can be found on the borough Web site at www.metuchennj.org/police_main.html.