Parsippany Troy-Hills Police Department - Juvenile

The Youth Services section is staffed by one Sergeant and several Detectives, and is supported by an on staff counselor. The responsibilities of the Youth Services section are similar to the Adult Division with the exception that the Juvenile section handles offenders under the age of 18, while the adult division handles offenders 18 and older. Juvenile Detectives also serve as School Resource Officers in each of the township's two high schools.

There are two School Resource Officers that come under the jurisdiction of the Youth Services section. Both officers act as a law enforcement resource for the secondary schools in addition to handling criminal-delinquent and family crisis matters.

The School Resource Officer program is a nationally recognized program involving the placement of a law enforcement official within the educational environment. The SRO will act as an active law enforcement officer, classroom instructor and as a source to the teachers and students conferences and counseling. Although assigned to the school on a full time basis, a police officer so assigned remains an employee of the police department. The officer shall remain subject to all the rules and regulations of the police department and shall not be considered employees of the school district.

The Youth Counselor: Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department Youth Counselor provides short term counseling, referral and educational services to juveniles and their families. The primary function is to refer at-risk youth to appropriate intervention activities, programs, or agencies in an attempt to thwart involvement in criminal activity.

Parsippany's D. A. R. E. Program is part of a national effort to combat drug abuse and violence among our children. D. A. R. E. Is the acronym for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It is the single most widely-used substance abuse prevention and safety promotion curriculum in the world. Our D.A.R.E. curriculum includes visitation for kindergarten through fourth grades. A sergeant in the Police Department's Youth Services Section directs Parsippany's program. Specially trained D. A. R. E. officers work in our 8 elementary and 2 parochial schools with over 2500 students. D.A.R.E. has achieved immense name recognition in association with substance abuse prevention, making the D.A.R.E. officer the most recognizable symbol for community policing and prevention. Virtually, all substance abuse and violence prevention programs agree that the key to success is enlisting the involvement of community leaders to reinforce a consistent message. D.A.R.E. provides unique involvement for a wide range of these figures, including law enforcement officers, classroom teachers, peer leaders and parents. Law enforcement professionals especially favor D.A.R.E. because it provides an excellent opportunity for positive interaction with children in a familiar, comfortable classroom setting.

The PAL operates a 36,000 sq foot youth center located at 33 Baldwin Road. A fulltime civilian employee of the Parsippany Police Department’s Youth Services Section fills the position of Executive Director and reports to a Sergeant at the Parsippany PD.

The PAL has seventeen volunteer Board Members. Permanent members of the Board of Directors include the Parsippany Police Chief, a Parsippany Police Officer, Mayor, Town Councilperson and 13 elected members of the community. A liaison from the Board of Education is also present at each Board of Directors meeting.

The purposes of the PAL, in close cooperation with the Parsippany-Troy Hills Youth Services Section of the Parsippany Police Department, are: To promote and advance generally the needs and welfare of the youth in our community; To provide a safe and productive environment where the youth of the community can enjoy educational, social and athletic activities under competent supervision; To further promote clean sportsmanship and good citizenship among boys and girls of the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills.

More information regarding the PAL and its many youth programs can be found at www.parsippanypal.org or contacted by email at Jplescia@parpolice.com.

Contact Juvenile:

3339 US Highway 46
Parsippany, NJ 07054
(973) 263-7090 

School Resorce Officers

 Parsippany High School and
Central Middle School:
Detective Anthony Bonavitacola
(973) 263-7001 ext. 3052

Parsippany Hills High School and
Brooklawn Middle School:
Detective Joseph Selitto
(973) 682-2815 ext. 3046