Bordentown residents will have the opportunity to work out with local law enforcement this fall.
That is a result of a new community initiative that has been developed by the Bordentown Township Police Department (BTPD).
In an effort to promote a healthy lifestyle for both the township police officers and residents, the BTPD plans to hold free community workouts starting in October.
Residents will be able to join officers on Monday nights in October from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Bordentown Regional Middle School. Officials said that anyone 13 years of age or older is welcome to attend regardless of fitness level.
The program’s organizer, BTPD officer Adam Edwards said the idea for free community workouts was inspired by the Mount Holly Township Police Department, which offers a similar program to that community.
After getting in touch with the Mount Holly officer in charge of the community program, Edwards ran the idea past BTPD Chief of Police Brian Pesce, who was all for the initiative. Edwards explained that because he is also the School Resource Officer for the Bordentown Regional School District, teaming up with the middle school was an ideal choice.
“We have a very great relationship with our school district,” Edwards said. “I approached the middle school principal [Joseph Sprague] and bounced the idea off of him. He was very receptive of it.”
Edwards said that the Principal Sprague was open and accepting to the idea of the program and offered to provide whatever necessary resources the school could for it. The township police officer also explained that the idea for the program comes off the heels of a new incentive around the department to encourage officers to engage in more fitness activity.
“We have a new mindset around the department to try to be healthy and stay active, and I thought this was a good stepping stone,” he said.
Although Edwards said that the planned program will aim to benefit participating officers in the department, he explained that the workouts will benefit the benefit the community as well. The Bordentown officer explained that the department is also trying to engage in more community outreach events, so being able to work out alongside residents will help connect with the police in a new way.
“I’m looking forward to interacting with the community out of uniform,” he said. “We have events where we interact with the community like National Night Out and things of that nature, but this [program] provides people to see us with a more personal, out-of-uniform side because we are going to be working out with them.
“We are going to be ‘civilians.’ We are not going to be in uniform or carrying guns. We are all going to be working out together and growing closer as a community. We feel that is important,” he added.
Once the program gets up-and-running in the fall, Edwards said he hopes to see the program develop and potentially become more.
“We are always looking to change things up and find different ways to interact with our community, and we felt this was good way to do it,” he said. “We are using this sort of as a test to see how it works out and hopefully grow something more from here.”
For Bordentown patrons interested in participating in the program, contact Adam Edwards at 609-298-0025 (Ext. 1222) or via email aedwards@bordentown.k12.nj.us to reserve a spot.
