Mercer County probation officers and members of the Keystone Community Support Program are being trained to better protect themselves and their clients.

The training is provided by Max Ciscell Jr. of Maximum Protective Services in Transfer but is held at Olympic Dreams Karate and Gymnastics Center in Hermitage.

Juvenile and adult probation officers are being trained by Ciscell, who is also the safety director for the county's juvenile probation department.

Probation officers are exposed to situations where they need some safety training to learn how to better protect themselves and, if necessary, control a client, Ciscell said.

"They could become enmeshed in a hostile situation of some kind. We're really preparing for the unknown," Ciscell said. He added that the focus of officers' jobs is treatment, rehabilitation and to assist families.

Keystone Community Support Program of Mercer County gets young offenders involved in community service.

Ciscell said he teaches "good common-sense principals" and starts with teaching communication skills.

"I strongly believe verbal skills are the best option," Ciscell said.

Trainees are also taught to discern when a situation is escalating, and Ciscell said he emphasizes removing oneself from a situation if possible.

The probation officers are also trained to use pepper spray and expandable batons, which they carry with them, in case force is necessary.

The defense classes work in coordination with the ongoing Weed and Seed program in Farrell and Sharon because probation and parole officers ride with the police at night, Ciscell said.

Weed and Seed is a state-funded anti-crime program.

"We want to make sure the skills of the staff are heightened and that they're aware (of how to handle a situation)," he said.

The training is ongoing and has been taught to the juvenile probation officers for nearly a decade, Ciscell said.

He said he, Robert Fabrey of Sharpsville, Curtis Smith of Pittsburgh and Joseph Bonacci of Youngstown have been training police for nearly 30 years.

"We have several good police trainers in this area," Ciscell said. "My view is that's good because we want to expose the staff to different individuals. It brings an added element to the training."

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at
kgarrett@sharonherald.com