By Ryan Yousefi

Due to popular demand, the Coral Springs Police Department has announced a second session of availability for community members to learn officers’ self-defense techniques.

The Coral Springs Police Department hosts its latest S.A.F.E. (Self-defense Awareness & Familiarization Exchange) class on Wednesday, July 12, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Coral Springs Gymnasium at 2501 Coral Springs Drive.

While the July 12 session is fully booked, the CSPD has already announced another class scheduled for July 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Senior Center at Sartory Hall, located at 10150 NW 29th Street.

“The Coral Springs police department’s self-defense classes teach women how to gain better situational awareness so that dangerous situations can be avoided or addressed in the safest way possible,” said Officer Ashley Amalfitano.

Amalfitano, who runs the program, said CSPD has been teaching self-defense classes for residents for over two decades. The classes are scheduled on a regular basis and can also be requested by organized groups. In fact, CSPD encourages private groups and organizations to contact them with requests for special private S.A.F.E classes. 
“In addition to self-defense classes, RAD – Rape Aggression Defense – is also a self-defense class that the city has hosted over the years,” she added. RAD classes are part of the national program that teaches women empowering skills to fend off an attacker.

Amalfitano said on average, a hundred students take the self-defense classes hosted by CSPD each year. “We can confidently say that over 2,000 students have attended these programs in the past 20 years.”

The two-hour free-to-attend classes are first-come-first-serve, and spaces are limited.

Designed as a class that aims to arm women with self-defense skills needed to enhance personal safety, the two-hour program will combine education on avoiding situations more prone to crime and self-defense techniques designed for specific situations.

The CSPD S.A.F.E. program – specifically designed and only available for women 13 and above to register – includes learning strategies, techniques, options, and prevention methods that can be employed in potentially dangerous situations.

However, Limited spaces are still available, and interested individuals are encouraged to register promptly.

To participate in the S.A.F.E. class, individuals must complete a release and waiver form, which can be found on the official Coral Springs website. 

There are separate forms for adults and minors, and participants are requested to submit the completed forms by either email or in person at the Public Safety Building.

 The forms should be sent to Ashley Amalfitano at AAmalfitano@coralsprings.gov for email submissions. 

Alternatively, printed forms can be mailed or dropped off at the following address: Public Safety Building, Attn: Ashley Amalfitano, 2801 Coral Springs Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33065.

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