HIDDEN TALENT EMERGES FROM THE RANKS OF HUDSON COUNTY CORRECTIONS
MOVE OVER CAPTAINS IT APPEARS THERE IS MORE COMPETITION FOR YOU FOR THE DIRECTOR'S POSITION
EdPDLaw received a copy of the Police Chiefs Magazine for this month and was surprised to see the headlining story:
"OFFICER SAFETY IN THESE TROUBLING TIMES" written by Sergei P. Duda, Training Officer, Law Enforcement, Hudson County, Department of Corrections. OK, well who the heck is that? And where has he been hiding?
“In many law enforcement departments nationwide, off-duty officers are commuting to and from work in various stages of uniform dress and equipment. After a long shift, an officer commuting home while still in uniform, may not be thinking about the potential jeopardy their uniform places them in. Considering the recent rash of ambush and other types of assaults on officers throughout the United States, our officer’s state of situational awareness, attentiveness, and caution to potential danger while in uniform should be a real concern of officers and command alike. Officers must be aware that they can be targeted for violence for no other reason than wearing their police uniform on or off-duty and need to be prepared.”
Sergei Duda's article addresses the dangers that officers face while commuting to and from work, already in uniform. It stresses that the community only views the uniform as an authority figure and rarely makes the distinction between what type of officer and whether or not they are armed. The uniform itself is the target. He emphasises the need for officers to be vigilant while commuting to and from work and to also be aware of their surroundings while making stops, for coffee or other items which they take into work with them.
“Domestic disturbance calls accounted for fourteen (14) officer fatalities and were the underlying circumstances in some of the ambushes of officers. Spontaneous ambushes are unprovoked attacks without long-term planning. These types of attacks are often considered “crimes of opportunity.” The assailant makes the decision at the time of the officer’s approach and surprises the officer with an unprovoked assault. The majority ambushes reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) via incident data have been classified as “spontaneous.” It doesn’t really matter whether an officer is on or off duty, their uniform could make them a target.
According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), “four factors typically define an ambush attack: 1- An element of surprise; 2-Assailants who conceal themselves, their weapons or their intent; 3-The suddenness of the attack; 4-A lack of provocation. Attackers may attempt to lure lone officers into a situation with the intent of killing or injuring them in a pre-meditated attack. But more often, the assaults are spontaneous -- the result of an attacker taking advantage of an unexpected encounter with an officer.”
So who is Sergei Duda? To answer that question we went to the internet and downloaded his resume which boasts a very impressive career with the New Jersey State Police.
The bio at the end of the NJ Chief's Article reads:
SERGEI P. DUDA Instructor Sergei Duda has held the position of Training Officer- Law Enforcement, with the Hudson County Department of Corrections since August 2007.
He assists the Office of Professional Standards/Training Unit in the planning, development, and coordination of all departmental training.
Mr. Duda is a thirty-five-year career law enforcement professional with extensive state/county law enforcement, corporate fortune 500 security, and entrepreneurial experience.
He was a Special Agent in corporate security for Exxon Company USA.
He served the citizens of New Jersey for over 25 years in the New Jersey State Police and retired with the rank of Lieutenant as a Unit Commander.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration and a Master of Arts degree in Education and Administration from Seton Hall University.
Mr. Duda writes periodically on law enforcement issues whose works were published previously in the New Jersey Police Chief Magazine and the NJ Blue Now magazine.
Duda certainly appears to be qualified, if not over qualified for the position of Director of the Correctional Center. Edwards must have him bound and gagged in a closet somewhere so Director Taylor never finds out he has the next Director right there under his nose.
Congratulations Duda - Finally Someone Worthy Who Is Not Going To Embarrass the Department!
