A new park opened in Union City on the corner of Eleventh and West streets last month, dedicated to the six Union City police officers who have been killed in the line of duty.
Union City Police Chief Richard Molinari said 1,000 residents, officials, and family members of the officers arrived on the opening day, May 5.
Family members came from Texas to honor their fallen loved ones. “I think the families learned that Union City won’t forget what those officers did for us,” Molinari said.
Lynn Materka Harnden was among the family members located by the Police Department. Her great uncle, Arthur Materka, was among those killed in the line of duty.
Harden came all the way from Dallas to visit the new memorial last month. “My grandfather, Fred Materka was the brother of Arthur Materka,” she said. “I’m glad we came. My father was born in Jersey City and we lived in Union City. I always knew my father’s family was from there, and when I was little, we came every summer, but he died 20 years ago.”
Harden said her great uncle was a detective. “His death is always a sad thing for the family,” she said.
Harden died January 21, 1938 when an armed robber shot him with a .45 caliber pistol on 21st street and Hudson Boulevard, now JFK Boulevard.
The commemoration at the park’s opening last month included a parade, bagpipes, officers on motorcycles, and a speech from the mayor and police chief.
Park and play area
The park has both a play area and a memorial section for the officers. The play area is law enforcement-themed, with a water-squirting police motorcycle and other water activities. The memorial section has a statue with a police officer kneeling toward the plaques of the officers.
“The city wanted the community to come to the park and have fun.” – Union City Police Chief Richard Molinari
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“Six Union City police officers have been killed since 1923,” Molinari said. “The most recent was killed in 1973.”
The city started planning for the park a year ago, Molinari said, “They thought it’d be a fitting way to contribute to the officers killed on duty.” He added, “They were going to name it after the most recent Union City Police officer’s passing, but the Police Department thought it’d be a better idea to have the park dedicated to all six.”
Union City also has streets named after the six officers who lost their lives, and Harden came one year ago to see those as well. Harden said, “Now, a year later, there’s a park, and this park was unbelievable. I had no idea what to expect. We thought it was going to be tiny, but this has huge marble slabs and also a children’s playground area. The city made it a wonderful place for the neighborhood.”
“The city wanted the community to come to the park, and have fun,” Molinari said. “The monuments and lighting came together perfectly. Everything was carefully picked, and every inch has thought put into it.”
Harden added, “It has a beautiful sculpture of a Union City officer kneeling with his hand over his heart. Then the children’s area is called a splash playground. I just couldn’t get over it.”
Harden said, “I talked to citizens, and a woman about my age told me she lived there, and she thought putting a park in the middle of the neighborhood made their street the nicest in Union City. I know I’m going to go back, and my children and their children every chance we can. We were so appreciative.” Harden has four children who live in Texas. Her sister and brother-in-law, Peggy and Ted Walter, live in Morristown who also came to the opening.
She also met relatives she hadn’t known before. “I’ve connected with a second cousin whom I never met before,” she said. “She was a great niece of Arthur Maturka. I knew of her existence because her mom and my father were first cousins, but I never met her.”
Molinai said, “Lots of police departments try to do something like this by fundraising, but Stack said it’s too big. He secured the funding, and the families’ arrival. It all turned out incredible.”
Harden said, “I think I was crying the whole weekend. They flew a flag dedicated to Arthur, and they gave us the flag. It was very touching, and it exceeded our expectations.”
Some members of the department also had dinner with the relatives on Friday night, May 6.