Delaney Hall Staff Present at New Jersey Cops 4 Kids

Written By Kristin M. SanFilippo, Delaney Hall

New Jersey Cops 4 Kids is an organization that strives to break the barriers that exist between law enforcement and at-risk youth in the community. They provide exciting activities and one-on-one mentorship for youth ages 6 to 18 years old who have an interest in learning more about careers in the field of law enforcement. In 2016, Ms. Aurea Ruiz, Assistant to the Director of Classification at Delaney Hall, encouraged her two sons to become involved with the program in order to “give them the structure and discipline they would need to become productive members of our society rather than products of society.” She subsequently joined the parent committee within the organization, and currently serves as the Recruiting Director for the Essex County Chapter, working closely with Essex County Chapter Director, Armando Aviles, to enhance the lives of many.

Recently, Ms. Aurea Ruiz invited Delaney Hall Facility Director, Luis Soto, to present alongside her to a group of participants at Barringer High School in Newark, New Jersey. Director Soto spoke on his past experience working within the New Jersey Department of Corrections, as well as on his current role as Facility Director. Ms. Ruiz spoke on her 22 years of experience working for Community Education Centers and The GEO Group; highlighting how rewarding it was to work closely with a female population. Director Soto and Ms. Ruiz described the participants as excited and welcoming, and felt as though the informative presentation opened their eyes to the possibility of employment within the field of law enforcement. Director Soto concluded his presentation by having the children reflect on the idea that “if you don’t plan to succeed, you plan to fail,” in hopes of encouraging them to go confidently toward their dreams.