Residents of NJTS Refurbish Tactical Unit Truck for Township
- Truck to make debut at Memorial Day Parade -

JAMESBURG/MONROE TOWNSHIP - Jamesburg Police Department Chief David Lester and Juvenile Justice Commission Executive Director Howard L. Beyer were joined by Jamesburg Mayor Anthony LaMantia, Police Commissioner Joseph Jennings, and Sgt. James Mennuti to unveil the latest addition to the Police Department's tactical fleet.

Residents of the New Jersey Training School have completed the refurbishment of a former Brinks armored truck into a tactical unit for use by the Jamesburg Police Department. The truck will make its debut at the Jamesburg Memorial Day Parade on May 26 at 10:00a.m.

Last June, Jamesburg's Sergeant James Mennutti reached an agreement with Brinks, Inc. to sell Jamesburg Police Department used armored truck for $10.00. Now that he had the truck, he just needed a way to convert it to a tactical unit's response truck. The Jamesburg Police Department found just what they needed at the New Jersey Training School.

The truck arrived at NJTS in August to begin its conversion. The truck received a fresh coat of paint, and NJTS students and Sgt. Mennutti designed a new logo for the Tactical Unit which was painted onto the sides of the truck. The truck needed interior work as well. The seats have been reupholstered, a bench was added so that officers can safely ride to emergencies, and the interior has been redesigned to hold tactical equipment.

"This partnership between the Juvenile Justice Commission and the Jamesburg Police Department is another piece of our 'Good Neighbor Initiative'. The New Jersey Training School has been a part of this community for a long time. Now, we want to be active members of that community. Not only has the conversion of this truck acted as a training tool for our students, but it has allowed these young men to give back to their community," said Howard L. Beyer, Executive Director, Juvenile Justice Commission. "The JJC is pleased that we could provide this service to the community and look forward to assisting the surrounding communities with future projects."

Chief Lester awarded the JJC with a plaque in recognition of their service to the community.

"We are very proud of our twelve man department to have an armored truck in our fleet. Thanks to Brinks Inc., and the efforts of many individuals, we were able to utilize an armored truck through donated time and money," said Chief David Lestor. "Our town is a cash-strapped community without the funds for this type of vehicle, but our initiative brought this to light."

Approximately 300 residents who have been placed in the custody of the Juvenile Justice Commission by the New Jersey Family Court system reside on the New Jersey Training School campus. NJTS provides a full educational curriculum including vocational studies under the supervision of skilled instructors. Through these unique programs, students obtain skills that help succeed in the job market upon their return to their community.

Students and teachers from various NJTS vocational programs including auto body, auto repair, auto detail, sign shop, cabinetry, upholstery, and welding participated in this project. Twelve students worked on the project

The Jamesburg Police Department was able to secure the funds to repair and paint the truck through fund raising events and a forfeiture account.

The armored truck, now the gem of the fleet, will be able to respond to situations such as raids, high-risk situation, homeland security incidents, and drill training.

For more information on the JJC, please visit www.njjjc.com