Beginning in December, Gainesville Police will offer Rape Aggression Defense training to its officers.
The training will prepare officers to teach the free R.A.D. classes at the GPD station.
Tina Lamb, a certified R.A.D. instructor and coordinator for University Police, said GPD approached her to help train more instructors as an expansion.
“GPD wants to add R.A.D. to their regular offerings,” Lamb said. “It’s amazing — it’s what it’s really all about with R.A.D. There are over 11,000 instructors in the nation. The goal is to keep expanding so more women can be safer.”
R.A.D. classes are basic self-defense classes designed for women. They consist of four three-hour classes about verbal, moderate and extreme techniques to escape attacks and build empowerment.
GPD Sgt. Paris Owens and Lamb have already started offering R.A.D. classes for the community Sundays at the GPD station.
“I was a student who became an instructor,” Lamb said.
Lamb has taught students who have gone on to teach R.A.D. classes of their own.
“We all work together. That’s what it’s all about,” she said.
Becca Javier, a UF communications sciences and disorders sophomore, said she is proud of R.A.D.’s upcoming expansion.
“I think it’s good because some of the recent attacks didn’t happen on UF’s campus,” Javier, 19, said.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 10/13/2014]
