Ipswich Police Host Successful R.A.D. Class for Women

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, April 30, 2015

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email:john@jgpr.net

Contact: Jessica Sacco
Phone: 978-769-5193
Email: jessica@jgpr.net

Ipswich Police Host Successful R.A.D. Class for Women

IPSWICH –  Chief Paul Nikas is pleased to report that the Ipswich Police Department, in conjunction with the Hamilton Police Department, hosted a successful Rape Aggression and Defense (R.A.D.) class for a group of local women.

From June 14-17 participants completed a nine to 12 hour course, featuring classroom discussion and self-defense techniques for women of all ages and abilities. Instructors focused on risk awareness and avoidance.

Sgt. Jason Monteiro from the Ipswich Police Department and Patrolman Matt Shedian and Sgt. Karen Wallace of the Hamilton Police Department lead the women-only class. The three police officers are certified R.A.D. instructors, joining 11,000 teachers world-wide as members of the largest network of its kind.

The 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.

Residents from Ipswich, Hamilton and Wenham attended the class at the Hamilton police station. During the final four-hour block of R.A.D., participants were given the opportunity to partake in a voluntary simulation that places them in real-life scenarios they might encounter on an average day. An instructor wore a padded defensive tactics suit to allow women to test their physical skills learned in class.

“All of the women successfully completed the training and can now attend additional R.A.D. courses anywhere in the world, free of charge,” Chief Nikas said. “R.A.D. is the only existing program with a free lifetime return and practice policy honored worldwide. As a former R.A.D. instructor, I commend these officers for their dedication to staying certified each year and for partnering with the community to bring this great educational experience to our residents.”

The Ipswich Police Department and Hamilton Police Department will be organizing another R.A.D. class in the fall. If any members of the community wish to attend, they should contact Sgt. Jason Monteiro (978-356-4343) at the Ipswich Police Department or Sgt. Karen Wallace (978-948-1212) at the Hamilton Police Department. Additional classes are available upon request for groups of six or more, local community organizations or businesses.

###