Full Notification

MEDIA RELEASE – JANUARY 14, 2013
HUNTERDON PROSECUTOR ANNOUNCES NEW JUVENILE INITIATIVE
Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns, III, in collaboration with Hunterdon Prevention Resources, announce the launching of Hunterdon County’s Law Enforcement Adolescent Program (L.E.A.P.).
According to Prosecutor Kearns, “L.E.A.P. is an early intervention program that will serve as a diversion from the legal system. The objective of the L.E.A.P. program is to decrease the overall number of juveniles entering the legal court system by providing them and their family with support and assistance.”
It also addresses substance abuse, family issues, relationships, and school issues through counseling and referrals to additional services such as Life Skills, counseling, educational groups, substance use assessments, drug screening, parenting programs, and anger management.
L.E.A.P. will be serving Hunterdon County adolescents who have committed minor infractions or where there are concerns related to substance abuse, family issues, relationships, or school issues.
This program is designed to provide therapeutic support for improving life choices. It will also engage youth to explore issues related to inappropriate behavior. The program will also provide supervision of community service hours required as a result of the underlying infraction, if required.
Patrolman James Kramer of the Town of Clinton Police Department has been named L.E.A.P. Officer for the County of Hunterdon
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Prosecutor Kearns added, “The benefits of completing L.E.A.P for teenagers are that they will receive objective guidance. They will hopefully reflect on their choices and gain insight and knowledge about changing behaviors. They will gain assistance with goal setting and learn to understand themselves and their relationships. Most importantly, L.E.A.P. will encourage them and offer them the tools to avoid further involvement with the criminal justice system.”
The benefits for Law Enforcement are to provide an alternative to criminal charges for minor infractions and help young members of the community to learn from their mistakes, interrupt behaviors that would lead to further involvement with the criminal justice system, and help them become productive members of society. Law Enforcement will also communicate regularly with the teen’s counselor and manage community service hours and activities for the teens.
Hunterdon Prevention Resources (HPR) has over 40 years of experience as Hunterdon County’s prevention agency. HPR provides an extensive array of evidence based prevention and education services to all Hunterdon County residents as well as individual treatment and community programs. The L.E.A.P. Director for HPR is Lesley Gabel and the program coordinator is Jerri Collevechio.
According to Lesley Gabel, “Additional services offered by HPR include substance abuse assessments, level one out-patient substance abuse treatment, counseling, school based prevention programs, family programs, and bilingual services. HPR will also work in conjunction with other agencies to provide needed services to adolescents and their families.”
Prosecutor Kearns, in cooperation with Town of Clinton Police Chief Brett Matheis, has designated Patrolman James Kramer of the Town of Clinton Police Department as the L.E.A.P. Officer for the County of Hunterdon. Patrolman Kramer is a 1987 graduate of the Fox Senior High School in Arnold, Missouri. Following High School, Patrolman Kramer enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in the Infantry and Security Forces where he saw combat in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Patrolman Kramer is a 2003 graduate of the Trenton Police Academy and is currently assigned as the Town of Clinton Police Department’s Juvenile and School Resource Officer. He is also a member of the Hunterdon County Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team. He and his wife Kristen have two children, James and Aaron.
Find out more about Hunterdon Prevention Resources at www.hunterdonprevention.com.
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