Walpole Police Teach Hundreds of Women and Children Essentials in Self Defense

For over 10 years, the Walpole Police Department in collaboration with the Walpole Recreation Department has taught hundreds of women the Rape Aggression Defense Course, also known as RAD. 

The program provides women with the essential options necessary to defend against an attacker. During the 12-hour program taught by Walpole officers in four, 3-hour blocks, the women are instructed on a variety of physical defense mechanisms and techniques used to physically protect themselves from an adversary. 

The women are also taught how to recognize uncertain and dynamic factors through risk awareness, risk assessment and risk reduction. During the final few hours of the program, the women are subjected to live simulated attacks by trained aggressors who are also Walpole police officers. 

The department has trained women from as young as 13 to senior citizens and is proud to offer such an important program through our recreation center.

Now, the department will have the enhanced ability to offer this same type of program to children.

Last week, two Walpole Police Officers, Jaclyn Hazeldine and John Thayer attended a 40-hour RAD-KIDS, Instructor Course on Cape Cod. RAD-KIDS is a national leader in the safety of children and offers a curriculum for kids that includes topics such as home, school and vehicle safety; how to protect themselves from physical harm or violence, defense against abduction, self-realization of personal power and much more.

The department currently has seven officers who are trained in RAD and Advanced RAD. Officer Hazeldine has been instrumental in helping institute the program in Walpole over 10 years ago and continues to ensure the program expands to include our children through RAD-KIDS.

The officers look forward to helping citizens avoid victimization and assist in empowering those who may be most vulnerable.