Paterson High School Students Meet with Local Law Enforcement to Consider Career Options

PATERSON, NJ - On Friday, Paterson’s East Side High School forum initiated by Principal Dr. Karen Johnson, School of Government and Public Administration (GOPA), and the National Coalition of Latino Officers (NCLO), (an umbrella organization whose mission is to bridge the gap between law enforcement and society) gave students an opportunity to explore law enforcement as a career option. “The six-week career development program brought high ranking officials of Latino American and African American decent with similarly situated socioeconomic background (i.e. living in an urban city, raised in poverty, etc.) to speak to high school juniors and seniors,” said NCLO President Antonio Hernandez. In the school’s library, communicating through personal experiences speakers, including Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes, Paterson Mayor Jeffrey Jones and Captain Heriberto Rodriguez of the Paterson Police Department, inspired and captured the attention of 80 students for one hour. Facing challenges as a Dominican woman, Valdes told of being the daughter of