Scotch Plains Police Sgt. Brown Named Instructor of the Month for LEAD
SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — Sergeant Jerald Brown has been named LEAD (Law Enforcement Against Drugs) Instructor of the Month.
“We are very proud of Sgt. Brown,” said Scotch Plains Police Chief Ted Conley. “He has been instrumental in creating a great relationship with the children of Scotch Plains and Fanwood and the police department.”
Sgt. Brown grew up and lived in some of the most violent neighborhoods in urban Essex County. In some of these communities, drugs and crime were a way of life. It even struck Sgt. Brown personally with family members being victims. This early exposure gave him an intervention and helped craft his direction towards becoming a role model for others to deter them from this way of life.
A member of the Scotch Plains Police for over 20 years, Sgt. Brown dedicates himself to teaching and helping of the children of Scotch Plains and Fanwood. Prior to joining SPPD, he was a volunteer on the Scotch Plains Fire Department and achieved the rank of captain.
In 1988, he began teaching Fire Safety and Halloween safety in the SPFK12 school district. After his first year as an officer, in 1999, he continued on as an Adopt a Cop for the elementary schools. In 2004, Sgt. Brown entered the middle school curriculum of drug awareness and became an instructor for 5th graders. This curriculum included essay contests and field trips. During the 2014-15 school year, the LEAD (formerly DARE) program was established. He continued as an instructor, a title he presently still proudly holds.
Today, under Sgt. Brown’s command, the LEAD program has four instructors and teaches over 500 students at Park and Terrill Middle Schools. In 2017, Sgt. Brown assisted in creating the Middle School Intramural (Cops & Kids) Program. Designed as an after school activity, the program fosters relationships between police officers and children through sports and games.
Sgt. Brown has also directed annual National Night Out events and the Bicycle Rodeos and has conducted hundreds of tours for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Daisy, and Tiger Scouts. He has also coached the Tigers of the Scotch Plains Fanwood Soccer Association for the past nine years.
In 2017, Jerry Brown was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and is currently in charge of the Traffic Bureau, as well as the Community Policing unit. But his title of role model gives him the most pride.
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