Newark Cop Honored for Keeping Kids Safe

A Newark police officer was honored last week for spearheading efforts to ensure the safety of child pedestrians.

Benito Torres, a 19-year veteran, represents the Newark Police Department on the Pedestrian Injury Prevention Partnership (PIPP),  a coalition of groups working to improve safety among the elderly and the very young at city crosswalks.

PIPP was created by the New Jersey Trauma Center at University Hospital, which bestowed the trauma center's first-ever Champion of the Year Award on Torres May 21. His responsibilities include hiring, training, placing and supervising 137 crossing guards throughout the city.  

He uses the New Jersey Trauma Center’s pedestrian crash location maps in his efforts and works with the Center to determine the most effective locations to place crossing guards so that they may keep children away from cars.