The Arlington Police Department is offering Arlington women the opportunity to empower themselves. The “Rape Aggression Defense” system, known as RAD, develops and enhances the options of self-defense through lecture, discussion and hands-on self-defense techniques.

The four-day course will be held March, 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Classes will be taught at Arlington police headquarters, 112 Mystic St. There is no cost for this program. Space is limited to 15 women. Preregistration is required. The program has a free life-time return and practice policy.

Having trained more than 300,000 women since 1989 and as the largest network of its kind, the program is being offered by Arlington Police as a service to women to provide them with the skills to keep themselves safe. The classes will be taught by Arlington Police Officers who are nationally certified RAD instructors. Instruction will include: self- awareness, prevention, risk-reduction and risk avoidance.

For more information, call Arlington Police Officer James Smith at 781-316-3174 or visit www.rad-systems.com.