Hazelwood Police, Parks Dept. Holding Escape and Evasion Course on Nov. 14

The Hazelwood Parks and Recreation Division is teaming up with the Hazelwood Police Department in a collaborative effort to promote personal safety and community interaction with law enforcement. These organizations are co-hosting an Escape and Evasion Course for residents on Saturday, Nov. 14, in the Hazelwood Community Center gymnasium from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Admission for this three-hour program is free and open to all adults and teens over the age of 15. No children are allowed. The course addresses both psychological and physical skills needed to avoid a potential violent encounter. There is no level of physical fitness that is a qualifer to participate.

“Our Hazelwood Police Department operates on a 24/7 basis to make sure the city remains a safe place to live and work,” Hazelwood Police Chief Gregg Hall said. “It’s no secret that our society has changed in terms of the potential for disruptive encounters to occur. Violent incidents can occur at any given moment. To help keep our local citizens safe until our patrol officers can respond, it’s important for us to educate and prepare them on how to react to these situations.”

The Escape and Evasion Course provides insight into the principles of avoidance, escape and evasion. Its purpose is to teach students how to avoid being attacked and how to effectively evade or escape their assailant if they are attacked. Physical countermeasures will be demonstrated and practiced during the class. Participation is encouraged, but not required to attend the course.

The instructor for this course will be Tom Jost, the managing partner of The Saint Michael Group, who is also the director of training and a member of the executive advisory board of PPCT Management Systems. PPCT is the largest training organization in the world dealing with subject control systems. PPCT has over 58,000 instructors in 28 different countries.

Residents interested in signing up for this Escape and Evasion Course should submit their R.S.V.P. to Sgt. Doug McGarry at (314) 513-5208 prior to the event date.

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