By SOPD and the CPC
What began with only 18 police bicycle riders in 1997 in Florham Park, NJ as a four-day bicycle ride from New Jersey to Washington, DC to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial has grown exponentially. Its goal is to raise public awareness about law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty, and since 1997 it has expanded into nine chapters with 2,600 members nationwide who make the trip annually.
Lt. Adrian Acevedo of the South Orange Police Department has been participating in the Police Unity Tour since 2005. This year (and every year) it will take place May 9th to 12th in an effort to ensure that the memory and sacrifice of fallen officers are never forgotten. According to Lt. Acevedo, today some 900,000 law enforcement officers in the U.S. put their lives on the line for the safety and protection of others. He notes “that approximately every 50 hours a peace officer is killed protecting families and communities and there were over 60,000 assaults against law enforcement officers in 2020, resulting in 18,568 injuries. On average, 214 officers are killed in the line of duty each year.”
To make a donation to sponsor Lt. Acevedo and members of the South Orange Police Department please go to this website. Your donation will help sponsor the Memorial and its programs like the Officer of the Month Award and other special projects. Lt. Acevedo notes, “With every dollar that I raise for the Police Unity Tour, I’m doing my part to honor our nation’s law enforcement officers.”
For more info on the national Police Unity Tour please click here.
Ride on!
Community Police Collaborative 