Every 53 hours, a law enforcement officer in the United States dies in the line of duty.
Although the Bayonne Police Department has been fortunate not to have lost an officer in more than 40 years, for the last five years, officers from Bayonne have taken part in the Police Unity Tour, which is designed to honor the memories of officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Founded in 1997, the Police Unity Tour has raised nearly $10 million in donations for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which honors those officers who have died each year in the line of duty.
While no police officers from Bayonne or Hudson County died in 2011 while on duty, New Jersey saw a number of police fatalities, including New Jersey State police officers, as well as in the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Mount Arlington and Lakewood police departments.
“This year we’ve decided to ride in memory of the four officers in Bayonne who died in the line of duty.” — Det. Keith Striffolino
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Eight will go from Bayonne this year
The Police Unity Tour was organized in May 1997 with 18 riders on a four-day fundraising bicycle ride from Florham Park, N.J., to the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. Last year, more than1, 200 riders from around the nation made the trip. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is sending its own contingent, which will start at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan.
Bayonne got involved in the program about five years ago with a couple of officers joining the ride. This year, eight Bayonne police officers that include Loyad Booker, Stephanie Burt, Michal Elia, Tomasz Malinowski, Paul Newman, George Ponik, Michael Zajac, and Striffolino will make the trip. With logistical support from William Downey, they will make the four-day trip starting on May 9.
Riders will be escorted into Washington, D.C., by motorcycle officers from around the country, such as the California Highway Patrol, amd Oklahoma and New Jersey state police. They will ride to Judiciary Square, where the memorial is for the fallen officers.
Then they will go to RFK Stadium for services, honoring those that have fallen last year. Family members of the fallen are invited to attend these ceremonies.
Among those to be honored is a New York City veteran Police Officer Peter Figoski, 47, of West Babylon, N.Y., who died last month after he was shot in the face at the scene of a home robbery in Cypress Hills.
Over its almost 150-year history, Bayonne has lost only four officers in the line of duty, all on the east side of the city in the vicinity of East 22nd Street:
On Dec. 17, 1920, Police Officer Thomas Hunter was killed in an auto accident involving the police vehicle in which he was a passenger.
On July 24, 1926, Police Officer Hugh O’Donnell, after mounting his horse at East 22nd Street, fell off near 27th and Avenue F after his horse had broken into a full gallop.
On July 4, 1930, Police Officer Stanley Zenarski, along with another police officer he was talking to at the corner of East 22nd Street and Prospect Avenue, was shot without warning by a suspect, who was later apprehended.
On June 21, 1970, Police Officer Joseph Brameyer died in an automobile accident near East 22nd Street and Avenue J while his unit was responding to a report of a burglary.
The public can help
Because the ride is a fundraiser to benefit the memorial, those Bayonne police officers involved will holding events between now and May to raise funds for the trip.
The first of these will be a Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament at Marist High School’s cafeteria on Friday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m.
For those wishing to donate, they may make contributions to Team Bayonne/Police Unity Tour, P.O. Box 311, Bayonne, N.J., 07002.