For Immediate Release

Friday, April 14, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Ipswich Police Successfully Host R.A.D. Class at Ipswich High School

IPSWICH — Chief Paul Nikas is pleased to report the Ipswich Police Department successfully hosted a Rape Aggression and Defense (R.A.D.) class for female high school seniors last month.

Twenty high school seniors completed the 12-hour course at Ipswich High School during the second and third weeks of March, attending two classes each week. Sgt. Jason Monteiro and Patrolman Aaron Woodworth, who are both certified R.A.D. instructors, led the women-only class, which featured classroom discussion and self-defense techniques for women of all abilities. Instructors focused on risk awareness and avoidance.

On the last day of class, students were given the opportunity to utilize the skills they learned and participate in voluntary dynamic training scenarios designed to represent realistic encounters that require avoiding confrontation, escaping from the scene, or defending from a physical attack.

“I want to thank the Ipswich School District staff for working with the police department to protect and educate these students, both in core classes and in real-life defense scenarios,” Chief Nikas said. “Our department is committed to the safety of all students, and while we are proud to teach these self-defense tactics, it is our hope they never have to use what they’ve learned.”

In January, Ipswich Middle and High School staff members Justine May, Christine Hultgren, Alison Stager, Sue Markos and Kristin McGinley, completed a R.A.D. training class through the Ipswich Police Department.

After successfully completing the course, they wrote and were awarded a Feoffees mini-grant to bring R.A.D. training to the students at Ipswich High School. The grant included a plan to pay for instructor training and a budget to order the equipment necessary to facilitate the course.

The R.A.D. curriculum is taught at colleges, universities, municipal law enforcement agencies and various community organizations internationally. To date, more than 900,000 women have participated in the program since its inception in 1989.

For more information on the Ipswich Police Department’s R.A.D. classes, contact Sgt. Monteiro at [email protected] or Officer Woodworth at [email protected].

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