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News 12 Staff

105spotlightnj2_2024-10-05-09-30-19

We are talking with two members of the Morris County Sheriff's Office, Corporal Erica Valvado and Sheriff's Officer Chelsea Whiting. Earlier we were talking about Hope one in the first segment. Right now let's talk about the Explorer program. Sure, our Explorer program is through the Morris County Sheriff's Office and it's for youth ages 10 to 20 years old. So what we do is we are able to expose that. To all the different areas of law enforcement they participate in meetings twice a month where they actually learn and work with the officers so you'll see that they are marching to a cadence you'll see that they are learning how to do emergency field first aid so we put them through all these different experiences so one day when they go into the field of law enforcement they're prepared. So actually I started as an explorer when I was a young child, adult. When I was 13 I actually entered the program and from there when I turned 18 I took the test to become an investigator with the sheriff's office so I was able to build up to go through the police academy and be prepared because programs like the Explorer program really prepared me for what to expect in the field of law enforcement. How would you say that program was invaluable for you? So it led me to where I am today 20 years later working at the sheriff's office starting as an explorer with the program and now being an adviser with the program with Officer Chelsea and being able to really show women and and girls that they can do it they can be a female in law enforcement they can have that successful career and and really learn from. Great officers with the sheriff's office, not just myself and Chelsea, yeah, and that visual of it is important for them too, as you've seen, yeah, there's so many advisors, uh, and we're really fortunate. I'm really fortunate to work with Erica because we're able, you know, she went through the explorer program herself. So I think she knows exactly what she wanted to be as an adviser exactly how she wanted to run the program um so it's very nice for me uh because I'm able to look up to Erica and see how she's running it, um, and be able to really give back to the children that are really interested in law enforcement.

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105spotlightnj3_2024-10-05-12-34-12

I'm sitting here with two members of the Morris County Sheriff's office, Corporal Erica Valvano and Sheriff's Officer Chelsea Whiting. We wanted to talk more about your Explorer program. Sure. Our Explorer program offers 10 to 20 year olds. The experience with law enforcement, getting to know the officers and those relationships is really important. And as a female in law enforcement, it's really cool to see these young men and women interested in the field. Yeah. So right now we have about more than half of our explorers from the ages of 10 to 20 are actually females. Wow, that's impressive. Yeah. Yeah. So it's kind of mirroring if you will our own police department, right. The Morris County Sheriff's office. We have a ton of females that work with us. And now we're also expanding the Explorer program where more than three quarters females or more than half I should say of females. That's a lot. How do they feel? Knowing they get this opportunity to walk in your shoes to see what you do? We've had explorers become state troopers. We've had explorers become attorneys. We've had explorers become paid firefighters. So, as an advisor, it's really cool to see the explorers grow and become first responders and help people so they can do what our advisers do. They can mirror our positions and, and really just grow. So you all keep tabs on track of what everybody who's come through the program is doing. Yeah. And what's even cooler is that sometimes when we're out with hope one, Erica will be out obviously and people will come up and be like, oh, I was your Explorer 10 years ago and now I'm an officer with whatever police department they're with. So that is very humbling to hear. It's, it's awesome. It must make you feel very, like, take a lot of pride in what you do and know this is your legacy. Absolutely. Being able to teach our youth that you can be a productive member of society, you can be a helper, we call them helpers. You can, uh, you know, save lives and change lives through a career as a first responder.

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106spotlightnj4_2024-10-06-09-03-57

Corporal Erica Valvano and Sheriff's Officer Chelsea Whiting work with the Morris County Sheriff's office. We were talking about programs they are involved with to get back to the community. Now, you gave us an idea of how you got started with the Explorer program. How did you get into law enforcement? Yeah, absolutely. Della, thanks for asking. So I actually started the Morris County Correctional Facility in 2017 and I absolutely loved it. Uh, but I saw that the recidivism rates are very high, right? With people that are struggling with substance use as well as mental health. Um, and I really wanted to be part of the solution, uh, and really help those individuals on the outside so that way they could stay out of jail and hopefully thrive and live their best life outside of being incarcerated. So, how did you take that first step to get into this line of work? Um So first I actually went, I got my bachelor's degree in criminal justice. I took the civil service test and I started at the correctional facility, uh the first day of the academy actually at the correctional facility, I got a, um, certification to start part of the Morris County courthouse. And I knew that's where the Hope one truck was and that's exactly where I wanted to be. So I went back through the academy again. Uh, I did the Academy for nine months approximately and then I started at the Morris County courthouse. What was that like being at the courthouse? It was awesome. I worked in Family Court. I really loved it. Uh, but I knew that my heart was set on being on hope one. And why was your heart set on hope one? Um So I have had family members that did struggle with substance use, um as well as their mental health. Uh So I really want to be part of the solution and be able to give back to those individuals, um that maybe wouldn't be able to care for themselves. And when you see how successful the program is in helping people change their lives, does that make you feel amazing? I'm just happy to help. Do you have stories? I know you can't name names and all that. But do you have stories that you'd like to share so many stories? Uh If I could pick out just one, I did help an individual not too long ago, she was homebound for approximately three years. Um And what her heart desired was to, to have an art show. She was an artist. Um So I worked with a bunch of our community partners and I was able to make her dreams a reality. Um, and I was just there actually a month ago, uh, at her opening day she came out and it was absolutely lovely. What did she say to you? Um, she told me she loved me. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Wow. Yeah, it was amazing. Brought me to tears actually.

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106spotlightnj5_2024-10-06-09-20-27

The two ladies sitting here with me in studio, work with a Morris County Sheriff's office, Corporal Erica Valva and Sheriff's Officer Chelsea Whiting. There is a topic we all want to get into. We know how police departments can have negative images and that the community might be hesitant to want to deal with you all. How do you deal with that stigma? Absolutely. Della There is a stigma associated with law enforcement that launching hope one has really broken down. So as hope one is a program to help individuals and families struggling with substance use and mental health and we're the sheriff's office running it. Right. Sheriff Gannon launched this program. So now seven years later, we're watching police departments refer individuals for services. We're watching law enforcement officers say I have a homeless individual struggling how can Erica and Chelsea help, right? Can hope want help. So we're really able to break down the stigma associated with law enforcement and substance use because it exists. It exists if I'm struggling with substance use, the last place I'm going to do is walk into a police department. Exactly. Right. That's the last thing I'm going to do. That's the reality of it. So now, seven years later, after launching Hope One and Hope hub and Parry and all these programs here in Morris County, to address the needs of the community, to address people struggling with substance use and mental health. We've broken down those barriers, not only with law enforcement, but with community members, community members, absolutely with people who are able to now come to the truck and access Narcan and access services for free because we've broken down that stigma right associated with substance use and mental health. How often does your truck go out? We're out in the community every day. We are armed with a mental health professional and a peer recovery specialist. So that when someone does approach us, we are equipped to handle that issue. You've seen what's happened with a couple of police departments in New Jersey when it comes to mental health crises and what happens when they respond? Is that something that Morris County wanted to get a jump on and get ahead of? So Sheriff Gannon said, let's address the substance use and mental health issues in the community. Let's launch a program so we can help the at risk population through hope one through hope hub and really wrap the person in services. I like that, wrap the person in services.

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106spotlightnj6_2024-10-06-12-30-55

This weekend, we are chatting with two members of the Morris County Sheriff's office, Corporal Erica Valvano and Sheriff's Officer Chelsea Whiting. We have one more video, we wanna show the audience. So I want you all to walk us down and through the pictures. Yeah, absolutely. So right here, this is us at our Hope One symposium uh 2023 that we do every year to bring our community partners and police departments together. We've been recognized by many different organizations for our work. So the women in law enforcement actually recognized uh myself in 2019. Congratulations. Thank you with the Community Impact Award. So it's just really exciting. Um coming from a family of law enforcement and now helping the community. And in 2019, we were awarded the I AC P International Association of Keeps the Police Award that picture. These pictures are so adorable. So this is actually my favorite picture uh that I've ever taken. And, and it's somebody that I wanna empower right in law enforcement. And actually this year she just started the Explorer program. So I'm so excited to make an impact on, you know, individuals lives that really want the help and want to succeed in life. Exactly. What are your career goals? I know you said you've been with the force, what? 20 years? So I've been with the Morris County Sheriff's Office for 20 years and it's just really been a rewarding experience to be able to be part of the community outreach and planning section. And out there as a front line to help individuals and families struggling not only with substance use and mental health, but educate our explorers, our future of law enforcement. And what about you? So I would love to actually climb the ranks and probably become a sergeant at some point. Uh That is my dream uh just to continue helping people um and still be out on hope one and giving back to our community in any way that I can you two work well together. How do you inspire other women to do the same thing? Absolutely. Really just creating that team, being a team and working together is really where we are successful. And you know, as women in law enforcement, there aren't a lot of women in the on the forest, but we work as a team. So we're able to really get the job done. Yeah, I just supporting each other right inside of work outside of work, just supporting and really being there for each other. And I just wanna show that picture one more time of the group shot and you all tell me what does that mean to you when you see that picture of you all together like that, I believe that's hard work, dedication and perseverance. And that is showing young law enforcement that you can be chief of an agency because our chief is a female.

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Corporal Erica Valvano and sheriff’s officer Chelsea Whiting joined News 12’s Della Crews to discuss programs helping the community.

Spotlight New Jersey: Morris County Sheriff's Office

Corporal Erica Valvano and sheriff’s officer Chelsea Whiting joined News 12’s Della Crews to discuss programs helping the community.

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