Police Hope to Raise Funds for Domestic Violence Prevention Course

When New Canaan Police Officer David Rivera worked on the Bridgeport police force, he says, he saw “the aftermath of some very violent domestic violence incidents.”

He’s also had the opportunity to discuss the problem at home: Rivera’s wife works for the Center for Family Justice, an anti-domestic-violence agency in Bridgeport.

“So I got to thinking to myself: What can we do to prevent this problem,” or at least reduce it, he said.

For the past three years, Greenwich police have been running classes to teach women how to avoid becoming victimized by domestic violence and even how to fend off an attacker if necessary. Rivera sat in on some of those classes, and he hopes to start a similar course in New Canaan.

He’s sure there are enough women, girls and, eventually, men interested in taking the course. “I get quite a few calls from parents asking about self-defense classes for teenage girls,” he said.

Rivera has the department’s approval to try to set up the course — if he can raise the money throuh donations. His goal is to raise $20,000 to $25,000, and he’s now looking for donors.

“All the money will be used to run the course and to train officers and get equipment,” Rivera said. In order to teach the course, officers would need to be certified, he said.

Rivera said he expects the course to meet in two 90-minute sessions per week for five weeks. A different class could be set up for high school senior girls before they go off to college next fall.

“I hope to start a class this academic school year for seniors going to college,” Rivera said.

Anyone interested in donating to the project is invited to contact Rivera at New Canaan Police Department, 174 South Ave.

“We’re looking for as much money as we can get to keep the program running,” he said. “Hopefully, with this program, we’ll be able to see a decline in sexual assaults and domestic violence here in town.”