MORRIS COUNTY — On December 13, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office provided a training seminar for all Morris County school superintendents at Pequannock High School. The approximately two-hour training focused on bias crimes and incidents, and recognizing gang issues and violence in our communities and especially our schools.
Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp and Interim Executive County Superintendent Dr. Angelica L. Allen-McMillan gave opening remarks to the superintendents. Speakers for the event included Morris County Sheriff’s Office Detective Corporal Edwin Santana, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Samantha DeNegri, and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Supervisor Patrick LaGuerre. Detective Corporal Santana is a founder of the Gang Intelligence Unit at the Morris County Correctional Facility, a national lecturer on gangs, and the New Jersey Chapter President of the East Coast Gang Investigators Association. All three presenters have extensive experience working either in units covering gangs or bias crimes, and their expertise provided the superintendents with extremely beneficial knowledge in recognizing these issues in their school systems. With this information, the superintendents can create or update district-wide policies to ensure that their school district is as safe as possible.
Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp stated, “It is critically important that our schools are free of bias and gang violence. The training provided gave key information to school superintendents to recognize indicators of both before problems arise.”
