WEST ORANGE, NJ – West Orange’s first female Hispanic officer, Karen Roach Mango, grew up in West Orange after her family emigrated from Peru in 1990. She was a substitute teacher in Orange before joining the police department in 2004.

Mango offered a learning series called the Older Police Academy through The West Orange Department of Senior Services during June. During the classes, Mango taught seniors about the Port Authority and the seniors enjoyed learning, lunching and laughing with her.

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Mango shared, “The program explains the functions of the Port Authority. Based on my professional experience, the brief presentation they received on it didn’t provide much insight into the specific needs and effective solutions for senior safety.” She added that she was inspired to run Senior Services programs because she has close relationships with her elderly family members (grandmother, mother, father and aunts).

“As a police officer, dealing with the senior citizen community from time to time and witnessing a loved one experience an incident, made me want to explain further things to look for in scams, fraud etc. Due to my professional background as a law enforcement officer, I have seen firsthand the issues seniors face,” stated Mango.

In addition, she is passionate about advocating for vulnerable populations. “I want to make a positive impact on their quality of life and ensure their safety and well-being. Once I realized that they have safety challenges, I wanted to create a supportive environment, and let them know that a police officer is a phone call away,” said Mango.

The West Orange senior citizen population is fortunate that Mango recognized what she refers to as “a gap in the community for resources and education aimed at protecting and empowering senior citizens, observing the vulnerability of seniors to scams, accidents, and health emergencies, with the increasing aging population.”

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In addition to protecting that segment of the population, Mango reported, “Positive experiences with seniors can foster a sense of duty and affection towards the demographic. When I came up with this program, working with other organizations, local government, such as the New Jersey State Police (aviation unit), Morris County Sheriff’s Department and community groups such as, MHA, ADAPT and EZ Ride highlighted the potential for collaboration to create a comprehensive safety program for seniors.”

Mango mentioned some of the challenges of senior citizens. “There’s data showing the prevalence of safety issues among seniors, such as mental health, falls, financial exploitation or emergency preparedness. It’s necessary to have an academy dedicated to these concerns.”

In addition to the Older Police Academy, Mango is involved with the Junior Police Academy, Customer Service Unit field trips, Halloween parades and school activities. She’s a certified Field Training Officer and LEAD (Law Enforcement Against Drugs) program instructor, teaching children in school about the dangers of drug use. Mango’s also the WOPD’s LGBTQI liaison.

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