Montclair Police Officer Kim Nelson-Edwards Wins Prestigious Award

Montclair Police Officer Kim Nelson-Edwards
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Wren, a provider of physical security solutions that create safe learning environments, announced it has selected School Resource Officer (SRO) Kim Nelson-Edwards of the Montclair, New Jersey Police Department as the 2011 recipient of its third annual $2,500 SRO Scholarship award. The scholarship, offered and administered through the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), will be awarded at a special ceremony on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 from 11:30am to 1:30pm as part of NASRO’s 21st annual conference. The ceremony will take place in the Panzacola Room of the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, located at 9939 Universal Blvd. in Orlando, Florida. 

“Wren is honored to award Ms. Nelson-Edwards with this year’s scholarship for her longtime dedication to both the Montclair Police Department and to the field of SROs,” said Andrew Wren, CEO of Wren. “We were inspired by her creative approach to solving the problems SROs face in today’s schools and her perseverance against many odds to pursue her education to improve herself as an SRO.”

2011 Scholarship Winner Pursues Higher Education to Keep School Safer, Aims to Become Professor

Nelson-Edwards has served as an officer with the Montclair Police Department since 1995, and as an SRO for the 2,000-plus students of Montclair High School since 2002. In addition to being a dedicated SRO and ensuring school safety, Nelson-Edwards goes above and beyond by also teaching students in law enforcement classes and encouraging reading by running a student-to-student book exchange club. She also counsels students on how to make positive choices to improve their futures, and serves as an advisor for the Junior Police Academy and Students Against Violence Everywhere Club.

Nelson-Edwards’ savvy use of technology – such as monitoring students’ pages on social networks to aid in investigations – has helped resolve problems through mediation before they became official incidents. She also takes a creative approach to running a successful SRO program despite the budget cutbacks many schools face by writing grants to financially support programs she considers important for students. She even went so far as to develop and monitor a toll-free telephone number purchased with her own money where students could leave anonymous tips regarding the school and surrounding community.

Nelson-Edwards made a decision to return to school to continue her education after being diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in 2007.

“I’ve been battling the disease since then and wanted to complete my education as a testimony that anything can be done if we put our minds to it,” said Nelson-Edwards.

The Wren SRO Scholarship will help Nelson-Edwards continue her education to achieve her long-term goal of becoming a professor in the area of law enforcement and staying updated on trends and strategies to keep her school safe.

Nelson-Edwards shares her complete story in a special guest blog posting on the Wren Blog.

About NASRO

The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) is a not-for-profit organization for school based law enforcement officers, school administrators, and school security/safety professionals working as partners to protect students, school faculty and staff and the schools they attend. The true and tested strength in the School Resource Officer program is that it is much more than a curriculum. The SRO Concept can easily be adapted to the needs of ANY community desiring safe schools and effective community partnerships. For more information about NASRO, please visit the association web site at www.nasro.org.

About Wren

Wren specializes in physical security technologies and services for retail, education, healthcare and government facilities. The company’s solutions, including enterprise-class video management software, access control systems, security assessments, surveillance cameras and hardware, and professional services, enable organizations to protect people, assets and facilities, while empowering them with operational insights for better performance. Established in 1983 and headquartered in Jefferson City, MO, Wren is a member of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers (NASSLEO), and the National Retail Federation (NRF). Visit us at our website www.wrensolutions.com.

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