Police - D.A.R.E
The Ocean Township Police Department's D.A.R.E. unit, or Drug Abuse Resistance Education Unit, has been educating the students in the Ocean Township School District since 1994 in the Frederic A. Priff Elementary School. The police department originally began utilizing the program when Ptl. Matthew Azzarone presented it as an enjoyable and effective way to further educate students within the school district about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and peer pressure that they may encounter on a daily basis. The program progressed over the years and eventually was also taught to younger students who attended the Waretown Elementary School. Since the start of the program numerous other officers within the Ocean Township Police Department have attended D.A.R.E. officer training and took part in teaching these valuable lessons. Past D.A.R.E. officers include Ptl. Matthew Azzarone, Sgt. Dennis Jarin, Ptl. Leanne Petracca and Ptl. Matthew Quinn. The current Ocean Township Police Department D.A.R.E. officers are Ptl. Michael Cicero and Ptl. Kyle Flatt.
In addition to teaching the students, the Ocean Township D.A.R.E. unit also provides a graduation picnic at the end of the school year to the 6th grade students who have completed the program in its entirety. The students are turned over to the D.A.R.E. officers for a day and take part in numerous team building and leadership building activities and are provided lunch. At the completion of the picnic the students are awarded D.A.R.E. graduation certificates.
The goal of the Ocean Township Police Department D.A.R.E. unit is and always has been to continually educate our students on the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. The students in the Ocean Township School District are our future police officers, teachers and parents and we believe it is an absolute necessity to provide them with the best education and set good examples so they may be outstanding role models to future generations.
Ptl. Michael Cicero began his career with the Ocean Township Police Department in December of 2005 where he worked for three years as a Police Dispatcher. In December of 2008 he was hired as a Special Class II officer and attended the Ocean County Police Academy where he graduated in 2009 and was assigned to the patrol division. In August of that year he was hired as a full time Patrolman. In 2011 Ptl. Cicero was assigned to the D.A.R.E. unit and attended D.A.R.E. officer training at the Bergen County Police Academy where he completed a two week course and was certified to teach the program to the Ocean Township School District. During the course of his career he has attended numerous trainings such as ALCO test operator school, Standardized Field Sobriety test school and also completed a course in interview and interrogation. He continues to take part in numerous community policing related activities such as being a member of the Ocean Township Municipal Alliance committee and is an instructor for the Ocean Township Junior Police Academy. Ptl. Cicero also serves as the department’s state delegate to the Policeman’s benevolent Association. Ptl. Cicero is still currently assigned to the department’s patrol division, the D.A.R.E. unit and is also one of the Department’s juvenile officers.
Ptl. Kyle Flatt also began his career with the Department as a Police Dispatcher from 2003 until August 2009. In August of 2009, Ptl. Flatt was assigned to the Patrol Division and attended the Ocean County Police Academy in Lakewood NJ. While in patrol, Ptl. Flatt received many certificates and awards in varying fields of police work including a meritorious service award, multiple lifesaving awards and the Mothers Against Drunk Driving award. In September of 2013, Ptl. Flatt was assigned to the Ocean Township Police D.A.R.E. Unit where he taught the D.A.R.E. curriculum to children in the Waretown Elementary School, grades Kindergarten through fourth grade. Ptl. Flatt continues to be heavily involved in all community events, giving back to the community he grew up in. Ptl. Flatt is involved with many charitable organizations, trying to better take care of the citizens of the township who are in need. Ptl. Flatt is currently assigned to the Patrol Division, D.A.R.E. Unit and is one of Department’s juvenile officers.
Contact Information:
Patrolman Michael S. Cicero
Telephone: 609-693-4007 ext 317
MCicero@twpoceannj.gov
Patrolman Kyle E. Flatt
Telephone: 609-693-4007 ext 309
KFlatt@twpoceannj.gov
