Cadets graduate from first session of 2025 Junior Police Academy

Now in its fourth year, the Town of Warwick Police Department Junior Police Academy held a graduation ceremony for 20 cadets at Mountain Lake Park on July 25, 2025.

The academy, a partnership between the Town of Warwick Police Department and the Warwick Valley Central School District, is designed to introduce local youth to the principles of public service and leadership. Open to students aged 10 to 15 from the Warwick, Florida, and Pine Island communities, the program emphasizes the district’s Portrait of a Graduate qualities, including leadership, collaboration, communication, citizenship and problem-solving.

Led by school resource officers Dave Serviss, Katie Oresto, James Feragola, Mark Tooma , and Kat Hulak, the 10-day program combined classroom instruction at Warwick Valley High School with physical training and hands-on activities across various offsite locations around Warwick.

"This program has become a cornerstone in the department’s community engagement , and that's thanks to the hard work and dedication of our school resource officers,” Town of Warwick Police Chief John Rader said during the graduation ceremony.  "I also want to take a moment to acknowledge two standout graduates from previous programs, Anastasia Barabadze and Finn Buliung, who returned to the academy and became the first to serve as platoon leaders. This is another example of how our SROs have taken this program to another level." 

Cadets experienced a wide range of law enforcement and public safety activities. They also learned defensive tactics, CPR, handcuffing techniques, fire safety, yoga, taekwondo and more. Lectures and workshops were conducted by members of the Warwick Police Department, New York State Troopers, first responder agencies, and local professionals.

Town of Warwick Supervisor Jesse Dwyer and Greenwood Lake Superintendent of School Sarah Hadden also spoke during the ceremony and praised the cadets and the program.

JPA Class President Ronald Lorentzen thanked Chief Rader and the SROs.

"When I came here, I knew two people, but now I have 18 more friends," he said. "I learned valuable lessons, most importantly responsibility and personal integrity."

The second cadet session of the summer is set to begin on August 5.