Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that as part of the District Attorney’s Community Outreach Program, his office is hosting a hunter safety course. The course will take place on September 20, 2020, at the town of Deerpark Senior Center.

The purpose of the course is to encourage interaction between law enforcement and the youth of Orange County, and to stress the importance of gun safety. The course will be taught by Police Officer Michael Decker of the City of Port Jervis Police Department and Sergeant Ray Cirulli of the Town of Deerpark Police Department. Both Officer Decker and Sergeant Cirulli are certified New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Hunter Safety Instructors. Assistant District Attorneys will also assist at the courses.

“It is important, now, more than ever, for our youth to have positive experiences with police officers,” said District Attorney Hoovler, “and through this hunter safety course, we hope to provide some of our young people with just such an experience. The training will stress firearms safety, and I am hopeful that the course will foster an interest in our young people in safely experiencing the natural beauty of our County by engaging in outdoor activities and in learning the importance of conservation.”

District Attorney Hoovler thanked Sergeant Cirulli and Police Officer Decker for volunteering their time to teach the course, as well as Chief Richard Sztyndor of the Town of Deerpark Police Department and Chief William Worden of the City of Port Jervis Police Department for allowing their officers to teach the course. District Attorney Hoovler also thanked the Town of Deerpark for allowing the course to be held on their premises, as well as the DEC for helping to set up the course and for providing personnel who will be present at the course.

Anyone interested in enrolling in the course should contact the Orange County District Attorney’s Office at (845) 291-2050 on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Space in the course is limited to 20 attendees, and appropriate COVID-19 protocols and DEC guidelines will be strictly followed.