Local man helped Newtown schools after shooting

MIDDLETOWN – Newtown Public Schools in Connecticut will be forever linked with one of our country's most heinous mass shootings.

That tragedy didn't change the standing mission of the district — education — but school leadership had the seemingly impossible task of creating an environment where students and staff felt safe in the wake of such a horrific day.

"Through the wisdom of folks like Tony Gentile, we have been able to do that," said Joe Erardi, superintendent of Newtown schools.

Gentile, a 25-year resident of Middletown and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, was recognized by the Newtown Board of Education Tuesday night for his volunteer services after the December 2012 tragedy, when a deranged gunman murdered 20 first-graders and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School

Like many, Gentile watched the news unfold with shock, but he said that as the CEO of the Center for Private Security and Safety at John Jay he was in a unique position to help.

"I realized that my Center had the perfect set of resources ... that could help Newtown through this tragedy," Gentile told the Asbury Park Press.

So he made contacts with the district's leadership and eventually they brought in Gentile on a volunteer basis to conduct a complete risk assessment of the district and to set up training initiatives and new policies and procedures.

Erardi called Gentile, who didn't have the ties to the community that the other members of the district's safety committee did, "the most influential member on the security committee." After Sandy Hook, establishing new security protocols for Newtown was bound to be scrutinized.

"In Newtown, safety and security will always be on a different level, no matter how you slice it, compared to other districts," he said.

More than two years after the shooting, the new security standards and training regimen are in place, and Erardi said the board thinks it's an appropriate time to step back and honor Gentile for his service. He received a plaque commemorating his dedication to the district's security, an award that Gentile calls "a wonderful gesture."

In a career committed to the science of protection, Gentile says his time in Newtown stands out.

"The most important thing I'll ever achieve, without question," he said.

Russ Zimmer: 732-557-5748, razimmer@app.com