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NJladyGlock21

11-02-2005, 01:29 AM

Post news! :D

NJladyGlock21

11-02-2005, 01:31 AM

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Eileen Cirri saved room in the center of her husband's tombstone for the Congressional Public Safety Medal of Valor, the nation's highest honor for public safety workers. It was the second act of pure faith she had exhibited since Sept. 11, 2001, when her husband, Port Authority Police Lt. Robert D. Cirri was killed in the World Trade Center collapse.

The first was when she bought the grave site long before her husband's body was found. She said she absolutely knew Robert's body, unlike so many others, would be found. His body was eventually found along with four colleagues and the body of a woman in a rescue chair they were trying to evacuate from the north tower.

Cirri, along with the other survivors of public safety officers killed that day, lobbied for four years to get the Medal of Valor awarded to those who gave their lives on 9/11. Now they want others to know of the medal's existence so that it can be awarded to deserving public safety officers.

By coincidence, the Medal of Valor was created by federal legislation in May of 2001. But it was the Congressional Gold Medal that Cirri and the other survivors, mostly widows, set their eyes on at first.

"There were 37 of us (survivors of Port Authority police officers). We got to know each other after 9/11 and we were working on a lot of issues. But we all thought these officers should be honored in some way," Cirri said. The quest for the Gold Medal was soon converted to a lobbying effort for the relatively new Public Safety Medal of Valor, which seemed to have been minted for this purpose.

Original efforts to have the victims honored were unsuccessful when federal legislation died in Congress before it could be acted on. The group had been expanded to include New York City police, fire fighters, EMS members, emergency services officers, civilian security employees, and anyone else classified as a public safety officer, paid or unpaid, who died Sept. 11. The final roster certified by U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales reached 442.

The bill awarding the medals had already died in committee when five bus-loads of people traveled to Washington, D.C., from the New York, New Jersey metropolitan area for Police Week in 2002. But Cirri was not about to let the opportunity pass, so she arranged a meeting with U.S. senators from New Jersey and New York to continue the lobbying effort.

The campaign was eventually successful. A special medal for the 9/11 victims was minted with the World Trade Center towers in the center replacing the eagle that adorned the standard medal, which has only been awarded 10 times. Cirri finally had something to put in the center of her husband's tombstone, and an answer to all the people who kept asking what the blank spot was for.

"We knew from the beginning, that, as horrible as this was, it will also always be a part of history. This rescue mission was so big, that no matter what part anyone played, they needed to be recognized. It was just so important. They rescued 25,000 people," Cirri explained. Cirri is vice president and former treasurer of Garden State COPS, the New Jersey chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the survivors of police officers killed in the line of duty.

On Sept. 9, 2005, nearly four years to the day after the towers collapsed and planes crashed into the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania, the Medal of Valor was awarded to the survivors of the public safety victims. The families were flown to Washington on specially chartered airplanes by the U.S. Department of Justice and the presentations were made in a ceremony presided over by President Bush at the White House.

Any public safety officer who performs above and beyond the call of duty can be nominated for a Medal of Valor. Details of the nomination process can be found on the U.S. Department of Justice website.

"The Port Authority survivors lobbied hard for this recognition for those who died in the rescue effort on 9/11," Cirri said, "but we also want to raise the awareness of everyone that Congress offers its public safety officers a Congressional Medal of Valor. This is a new medal that many do not realize is available to honor public safety workers."

NJladyGlock21

11-02-2005, 01:36 AM

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BY DONNA KENYON, EDITOR NJCOPS

A Woodbridge police officer is once again launching a campaign to raise funds for the widows and surviving children of law enforcement officers who perished in the World Trade Center attacks.

P.O. John Meleski designed the embroidered blue shirts and will be selling them in conjunction with the Woodbridge PBA. He plans to sell the shirts to raise funds through Sept. 11, 2006.

He said the message on the shirts, "Heroes are never forgotten," emphasizes that "We are still thinking about the heroes years later" after the attacks. "I want to keep them in the forefront of people

NJladyGlock21

11-02-2005, 02:09 AM

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http://njspba.com/images/2b2.JPG

WTPD3534

11-02-2005, 10:57 AM

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Oh you have GOT to be kidding me!! That monster commited it's crimes in my county only a few towns down from me! I'm personally friends with the late John Norcross's brother Richie who was also shot in the incident and put out on disability!! Oh this gets me steamed!!! :mad: :mad: That freakin bitch needs the god damn needle.....I hate NJ courts!!!!! :mad: :mad:

NJladyGlock21

11-02-2005, 12:05 PM

Oh you have GOT to be kidding me!! That monster commited it's crimes in my county only a few towns down from me! I'm personally friends with the late John Norcross's brother Richie who was also shot in the incident and put out on disability!! Oh this gets me steamed!!! :mad: :mad: That freakin bitch needs the god damn needle.....I hate NJ courts!!!!! :mad: :mad:
Oh I know :mad: :mad: Wish we could use her at the range qualification day.
The only thing good is the PBA will NOT stop fighting this.

laoem

11-11-2005, 01:43 PM

For those of you that are police officers in NJ and your active members of the NJ PBA, it is this letter well written by Pres. Michael Madonna, that makes me be very proud to have him as our Pres. of NJ PBA. I don't know the man. Never met him. But would love the chance to shake his hand and thank him for his observation, and quick action in this matter. We need to be able to defend our brothers at their times of needs, but more importantly we need to defend our brothers and sisters when they can not defend themselves. Congrats Pres. Madonna. And thanks NJADYGLOCK21 for posting this here.

NJladyGlock21

11-12-2005, 08:01 AM

njpd

11-13-2005, 09:22 PM

Hamilton officer wounded
Sunday, November 13, 2005
By MICHAEL RATCLIFFE
Staff Writer
TRENTON - A rookie Hamilton police officer was shot last night during a struggle with a gunman, who was then shot and killed - in self-defense - by another township police officer, authorities said.

The rookie officer, identified by authorities as Matthew Donovan, was shot at least once in the groin and was undergoing emergency surgery last night at the trauma center at Capital Health System at Fuld hospital.

The name of the other police officer was not immediately available.

The dead suspect was identified as a 36-year-old Trenton man. His name was being withheld last night pending notification of next of kin.

The incident occurred just after 6 p.m. on Vroom Street, a short road that runs between Liberty and Chambers streets in Trenton near the Hamilton Township border.

Details were sketchy last night as authorities from the Hamilton and Trenton police departments and the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office were just beginning their investigation.

The incident reportedly began when Donovan and his partner pulled over a car on Liberty Street in Hamilton because a computer check disclosed the vehicle was wanted by Bordentown police in connection with a missing person investigation, authorities said.

In addition to the 36-year-old suspect, there was at least one other person in the car, possibly a woman, authorities said.

A second Hamilton police car responded to back up Donovan and his partner, authorities said.

As police approached the car, the 36-year-old suspect allegedly jumped out and started to run, authorities said.

Donovan and another officer gave chase. Authorities said the foot pursuit lasted only a few blocks and ended on Vroom Street when Donovan apparently tackled the suspect, authorities said.

Donovan and the suspect then started to struggle. During the scuffle, the 36-year-old suspect allegedly pulled out his own handgun and shot Donovan, authorities said.

It was not immediately clear how many shots the suspect fired or how many times Donovan was shot.

The other police officer, who had been several paces behind Donovan, then arrived and returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect, authorities said.

Authorities said the suspect was shot in the head by the officer.

Authorities could not immediately confirm a report at the scene that the suspect's handgun jammed after he shot Donovan.

It was unclear if the officer who shot the suspect was Donovan's partner or an officer from the backup police car who had had responded.

Trenton Emergency Medical Service (TEMS) ambulances, Capital Health System paramedics and more than a dozen police cars from Hamilton and Trenton raced to the scene to assist the wounded officer.

The first TEMS ambulance left its station on Liberty Street and was on the scene in less than 30 seconds to render aid to Donovan, authorities said.

Donovan was immediately rushed to the trauma center at Fuld.

A Hamilton resident who graduated from Steinert High School in 1999, Donovan was sworn into the Hamilton police department on April 8 of this year. He graduated from the police academy in September.

Donovan also serves as a volunteer firefighter with DeCou Hose Co. in Hamilton.

Medical personnel attempted to resuscitate the 36-year-old suspect, using CPR, but he was pronounced dead a few minutes later when he arrived by ambulance at Saint Francis Medical Center.

Police officers quickly designated the area a major crime scene and used yellow tape to cordon off the length of Vroom Street, along with several blocks of Liberty Street.

Dozens of onlookers stood at the edge of the police tape and along the fence of a small cemetery opposite where the shooting occurred. They watched as a steady stream of plainclothes detectives, summoned from their homes, arrived to assist.

Soon, news helicopters were hovering overhead and more than a half-dozen news camera operators from Philadelphia-area TV stations were jockeying for position as close as possible to the police tape.

The camera operators and the TV reporters accompanying them nearly fell over each other each time a resident from one of the nearby homes on Liberty Street agreed to step outside to grant an interview.

Some spoke about how they had seen police cars race down their street or had heard three or four gunshots, while others expressed shock that such an event could happen in their normally quiet neighborhood.

Other neighborhood residents who shied away from the TV cameras just stood quietly and watched. One man shook his head and grumbled, "Typical Trenton," before turning his back and walking away.

NJladyGlock21

11-14-2005, 05:09 AM

My prayers are with brother Donovan.

^5 to his partner

NJladyGlock21

11-14-2005, 05:13 AM

Red VW Jetta/Pennsylvania tags EHH-0994

Read:http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175438,00.html

NJladyGlock21

11-14-2005, 05:33 AM

Convicted cop killer to defend herself at sentencing trial
Thursday November 03, 2005
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) A judge has ruled that a transsexual go-go dancer convicted of killing two law enforcement officers can represent herself in an upcoming sentencing trial to determine if she will receive the death penalty.

Camden County Superior Court Judge Samuel D. Natal on Thursday granted Leslie Ann Nelson's request to represent herself, although a public defender will assist her or take over if the court rules it necessary for her to receive a fair trial.

Nelson pleaded guilty to killing John Norcross, a Haddon Heights patrolman, and John McLaughlin, an investigator for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, on April 20, 1995, after they went to her house to look for illegal weapons.

Two juries have previously decided that Nelson, who was born Glenn Nelson before a 1992 sex-change operation, should die for the crimes, but the state Supreme Court overturned both sentences because of prosecutors' handling of the case.

Nelson, who works as a paralegal in the law library of the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton where she is incarcerated, filed the motion for the right to defend herself.

Jury selection in the sentencing trial is scheduled to begin April 17, 2006.

njpd

11-15-2005, 06:44 PM

http://www.njspba.com/images/newbanner.jpg

November, 2005

Dear PBA Member:

Mountain Creek recognizes the important role you all serve in our society. We also know you like to relax and have fun on your time off. To show our appreciation of the hard work you all perform in the line of duty, Mountain Creek would like to extend to all PBA members a FREE Creek Card.

It is easy to get your FREE Creek Card: Simply present your valid badge or membership card at Guest Services or any ticket window (in-season) at Mountain Creek, along with a valid picture ID, and receive a FREE Creek Card, an in-season value of $59. The Creek Card gets you 50% discount on midweek lift tickets and 25% discount on weekends and holidays for the 2005/2006 season. NEW! Immediate family members i.e. wife/husband and children (max 4) qualify for a $10.00 discount off the Creek Card when badge holder is present.

Help us spread the word on this exclusive promotion, your friends and colleagues will appreciate it and be glad you did. Share this flyer with other Precincts, Station Houses via email, fax and regular mail. Please note that Firefighters, EMT

icecoldblueyes

11-17-2005, 07:24 AM

NJladyGlock21

11-20-2005, 06:00 AM

Ya know... I knew NJ took forever with trials, but this is just rediculous! 10 yrs later......

Even if "she" gets the death penalty.... it's NJ, won't ever happen :rolleyes: One thing I do like about TX. We got it and use it. :D
Yeah wish we were like that. What is it worth if it isnt being used ...especially in a reasonable amount of time which should be asap! :mad:

Operator13

11-20-2005, 04:05 PM

Ya know... I knew NJ took forever with trials, but this is just rediculous! 10 yrs later......

Even if "she" gets the death penalty.... it's NJ, won't ever happen :rolleyes: One thing I do like about TX. We got it and use it. :D

I saw an article last week where he/she was being "honored" as the prisoner of the month, with a meal scheduled to congratulate her/him :eek:

WTPD3534

11-21-2005, 12:06 AM

Ya know... I knew NJ took forever with trials, but this is just rediculous! 10 yrs later......

Even if "she" gets the death penalty.... it's NJ, won't ever happen :rolleyes: One thing I do like about TX. We got it and use it. :D

Granted it IS slow, but it's only 10 years because this is the THIRD time "she" will be sentenced to death. The previous two have been overturned by the illustrious NJ Supreme Court in their infinite wisdom. :rolleyes: :mad:

NJladyGlock21

11-26-2005, 09:06 AM

Free testing consists of an Oral Swab to see if you are a match for this brother officer.

http://www.njspba.com/images/locale4.gif

njpd

11-28-2005, 08:53 AM

A New York City Police Officer was shot and killed in Crown Heights section of Brooklyn...

The officer, 35-year-old Officer Dillon Stewart from the 70th Precinct, was hit when the suspect opened fire from the vehicle he was attempting to pull over just before 3:00 a.m,. police say.

Stewart and his partner, believing the vehicle was stolen, were attempting to pull the driver over near the intersection of Cortelyou Road and East 21 Street when shots rang out.

Their patrol car was hit at least four times by gunfire. Stewart was shot at least once, with the bullet passing between his bulletproof vest and penetrating his body.

He was rushed to Kings County Hospital in critical condition. He was in surgery early this morning, and said to be in critical condition. Then, just after 9:30a.m. came word he had died.

Stewart's partner was not hit by gunfire, but taken to the hospital for trauma.

The suspect fled the scene in the vehicle, which was found outside 100 East 21st Street. Authorities had a name of a potential suspect and were getting a photo of him.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was at the hospital, and Mayor Bloomberg joined him.

PLEASE SAY A PRAYER FOR THE FAMILY OF NYPD OFFICER DILL STEWART...REST IN PEACE BROTHER

njpd

12-01-2005, 12:14 PM

Official arrested on heroin charge
Thursday, December 01, 2005
BY GEORGE BERKIN
Star-Ledger Staff
A Tenafly councilman was arrested on drug charges yesterday after officers nabbed him outside a Newark public housing complex in possession of heroin worth $400, authorities said.

Jeffery Romano, 43, was taken into custody outside the Bradley Court apartments, Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly said.

Romano was collared by narcotics officers about 1:30 p.m. after they noticed drug activity and stopped Romano's car, Fennelly said. Inside the car, the officers discovered 40 glassine envelopes containing heroin, the prosecutor said.

"He wasn't targeted because he's a councilman, he was targeted because of observations by police officers, and he turned out to be a councilman," Fennelly said.

The arrest was made by members of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Narcotics Task Force, said Fennelly, who also is the agency's director.

A call placed to Romano's home was not returned last night.

Romano was charged with second-degree official misconduct, second-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public housing complex, third-degree possession of heroin and third-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

The charges of possession with intent to distribute stem from the amount of the drugs, the prosecutor said.

Romano's car, a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette, was impounded and towed to a county facility. The car is Romano's privately owned vehicle, the prosecutor said.

Romano, a councilman in the Bergen County borough who was re-elected in November for a second term, was taken to the Essex County Jail. Bail had not been set as of early last night. In November, Romano got the most votes among four candidates for two seats.

Romano faces an arraignment today. The hearing will likely be done through a video link with the Central Judicial Processing Court in Newark.

"It doesn't sound very good," said Tenafly Mayor Peter Rustin.

According to Rustin, Romano's first three-year council term expires Jan. 1. The mayor said he would check with the borough attorney to see whether the councilman is required to resign.

Romano is chairman of the streets, sanitation drainage and parks committee and a member of the recreation commission, the Tenafly Chamber of Commerce and the Business Improvement District Committee.

The mayor said Romano is a property manager and fundraiser for the borough's July Fourth fireworks show and summer concert series.

Romano, whose family once owned the Tenafly Diner on West Railroad Avenue, has a wife and two sons, the mayor said.

njpd

12-02-2005, 10:08 AM

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS ANNOUNCED FOR FALLEN NYPD OFFICER

NEW YORK

NJladyGlock21

12-02-2005, 09:04 PM

On Jan. 6, 2006, at 9 a.m., Akram Evans will be sentenced for Vehicular Homicide in Superior Court Judge Thomas Vena

njpd

12-02-2005, 09:21 PM

[QUOTE=NJladyGlock21]On Jan. 6, 2006, at 9 a.m., Akram Evans will be sentenced for Vehicular Homicide in Superior Court Judge Thomas Vena

NJladyGlock21

12-02-2005, 09:26 PM

Glocky, you plan on attending...I'm probably gonna be there..we got the ok from our chief and the prosecutor
We still have not gotten our schedules for 2006 yet :mad:
If I am off, definately
If I am working and there is coverage to take off, yes
;)

njpd

12-02-2005, 09:28 PM

We still have not gotten our schedules for 2006 yet :mad:
If I am off, definately
If I am working and there is coverage to take off, yes
;)

Ok..let me know ;)

NJladyGlock21

12-02-2005, 09:29 PM

Ok..let me know ;)
K sounds good ;)

njpd

12-02-2005, 09:33 PM

K sounds good ;)

K...

ding :p

NJladyGlock21

12-02-2005, 09:40 PM

K...

ding :p
:mad: beat down

WTPD3534

12-04-2005, 11:34 AM

Challenges to Alcotest (http://www.nj.com/newsflash/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-17/1132982671324250.xml&storylist=jersey)

This might be of interest to those of us using the alcotest. All the talk that the new machine can't possibly be challenged in court might have been wrong. Make sure you write good reports and be able to prove impairment by observation alone or you could be in danger of losing a lot of your DWI's if the worst happens with this. :eek:

NJladyGlock21

12-04-2005, 10:59 PM

This will never change. I swear every winter it's like NJ drivers never experienced snow before.
586 MVAs and those are only the MVAs the Troopers were responsible for.
Sick.
Another storm in the forecast for Monday...please be careful guys, watch for the idiots.

Sunday Snow In N.J. Leads To 586 Car Accidents
Hazardous Conditions Claim 3 Lives

(AP) TRENTON New Jersey roadways made treacherous by a mix of snow and freezing rain early Sunday claimed the lives of three people and had police up and down the state scrambling to keep up with hundreds of collisions being reported.

Numerous accidents, mostly spinouts with minor injuries, were reported along the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, as well as secondary and local roads around the state. State police spokesman Steve Jones said troopers responded to 586 accidents Sunday, including 246 on the Turnpike and Parkway, and 25 on the Atlantic City Expressway.

Slick, snowy roads made driving hazardous well into Sunday, as the first measurable snowfall of the season blanked the state.

"People really overestimate their ability to drive in these conditions," Turnpike spokesman Joe Orlando said, urging drivers to reduce speed when driving on slick roads. (These are NJ drivers we are talking about!)

Three people died in two separate single-car accidents overnight.

Two people in Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, died after the vehicle in which they were riding lost control and hit a tree along the Atlantic City Expressway at about 4 a.m., Jones said. The dead were identified as driver Travis L. Parker, 27, of Haddon Heights, and rear passenger Ann M. Worden, 32, of Blackwood. Two other people in that vehicle were hurt, one critically.

The first fatality happened an hour earlier in Bordentown. Cheock A. Doumdia, 43, of Charlotte, N.C., was driving south on the Turnpike when he lost control and his vehicle became disabled on the left shoulder. He died after getting out of his car and being hit by another vehicle, Jones said.

A charter bus carrying 25 passengers skidded off the Turnpike in South Brunswick about 9 a.m. Sunday. The driver was thrown through the window, but did not suffer life-threatening injuries, Jones said. Five passengers suffered minor injuries. The bus, which hit a guardrail and was leaning on its side, was towed from the roadway around noon, after a replacement bus arrived to pick up passengers who weren't hospitalized by the mishap, Turnpike spokesman Joe Orlando said.

Orlando said the Turnpike remains slick, even though maintenance crews worked throughout the night salting it. Plows are ineffective unless there is at least 2 inches of snow has fallen, he said.

Snowfall totals varied widely from trace amounts in Atlantic City to a high of 4 inches reported in Ewing Township, Mercer County. The average snowfall statewide was 2 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly.

The mid section of the state saw about 3 inches of snow; totals in northwest New Jersey varied from 1 to 3 inches; and the southern counties saw 0 to 2 inches.

Forecasters advise Garden State residents to keep their snow shovels handy. A front scheduled to arrive Monday afternoon is expected to bring more white stuff with it.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for the southeastern portion of the state from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning, meaning snow totals of 5 to 8 inches are possible during that time. The northern portion of the state could get an estimated 2 to 4 inches by Tuesday, but accompanying sleet could lessen overall accumulations.

Forecasting tools show differences with the developing storm's path.

NJladyGlock21

12-04-2005, 11:48 PM

Sunday December 04, 2005
HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) Law enforcement officials across the country credit stun guns with providing another useful tool for handling dangerous situations. But in New Jersey, officers are still likely to reach for a firearm.

The Garden State is the only state that bans Tasers, which deliver 50,000 volts of electricity to paralyze a target temporarily.

New Jersey law enforcement agencies still rely on handguns, batons and the occasional canister of pepper spray. The Attorney General's Office sets guidelines on the use of non-lethal methods of restraint.

The Attorney General's policy on use of force was revised in 2000 to require the same level of danger for officers using any projectile from any firearm. The change dissuaded New Jersey law enforcement agencies from using stun guns.

``We'd like to use the technology, but the laws that govern them are so restrictive that they fall into the same level as using lethal force,'' said Lt. Brian Higgins, commander of the Bergen County Police SWAT team.

Massachusetts, the only other state that had banned Tasers, changed the law last year after Boston police shot and killed a mentally ill man. Family members believe a stun gun would have subdued him.

Steve Tuttle, a spokesman for Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Taser International, told The Record of Bergen County for Sunday newspapers that a few police chiefs in New Jersey have contacted the company, but the state has had no organized movement to relax its Taser law.

Tasers are used by 8,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide, and the stun guns have been deployed 100,000 times in police confrontations, according to Tuttle.

In Clarkstown, N.Y., all police sergeants, as well as some trained officers, use Tasers, and the devices have been used nine times in the past year, said Detective Lt. Charles Delo.

``We consider its use very successful, and very useful,'' Delo said. ``We haven't had any problems at all with them.''

Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt first began equipping officers with Tasers while he was police chief in Phoenix. He credits stun guns with an almost 50 percent decline in fatal police shootings between 2002 and 2003. He ordered 3,700 of the devices when he came to Houston in 2004.

``We are using this device in a way to ensure we are protecting the general public and our officers, and we feel it is working very well for us,'' Hurtt recently told The Associated Press.

Some New Jersey law enforcement officials, though, are more cautious about Tasers. Passaic County Prosecutor James F. Avigliano told The Record that police in his county would never use the technology, even if they were allowed.

``Certainly, we don't like police going around shooting people, but these types of weapons can be lethal too,'' he said.

The Police Executive Research Forum recently recommended use of Tasers only on people who actively resist officers and for only five seconds at a time.

The guidelines came amid criticism of police for using the stun guns too often, allegedly with deadly results. Amnesty International has compiled a list of more than 100 people the group says died after being shocked in scuffles with lawmen, a claim Taser International denies.

NJladyGlock21

12-05-2005, 06:21 AM

:(
Sgt. Marc Harris, 43, enforced charm
Sunday, December 04, 2005
BY REGINALD ROBERTS
Star-Ledger Staff

Marc Wesley Harris had an inkling early on that he wanted to be a police officer.

But after graduating from high school, he spent the next 14 years earning degrees and working in retail management before he took the test that landed him a job in the East Orange Police Department.

"This is something he always wanted to do," said his sister, Judy Richburg. "He wanted it and achieved it."

Sgt. Harris was on his way to work from his home in Lebanon when he lost control of his Ford Explorer on the rainy night of Nov. 29. He was killed when the vehicle slammed into a concrete barrier on Route 78 in Berkeley Heights and turned over.

An 11-year veteran of the force, Sgt. Harris was a patrol supervisor working the night shift. He was 43.

"Sgt. Harris was a popular police officer," said East Orange Police Director Jose Cordero. "Many people are shocked and saddened by the loss."

The flag at police headquarters was lowered to half staff in his honor. "We began our (daily) meeting with a silent prayer for the sergeant and his family," Cordero said.

East Orange Police Chief Michael McCleary, who hired Mr. Harris in 1994, remembered him as "wonderful, even-tempered and smart."

"He had a good sense of humor. He was always in the same frame of mind," McCleary said. "I don't remember him ever having a bad day. It will be hard to replace him."

Mr. Harris was born in 1962 in a Newark hospital to James and Marie Harris. He grew up in East Orange, where he attended public schools until high school.

Mr. Harris went to Collegiate School in Passaic, where he graduated in 1980. He was a member of the school's basketball team.

After graduation, he went to the College of Holy Cross in Worchester, Mass., where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986. He continued his education at Upsala College in East Orange, earning a Master of Science degree in human resource management in 1992.

In between pursuing degrees, Mr. Harris began working in the retail industry, managing stores mostly in New York.

But it was police work that always fascinated him, recalled East Orange police Sgt. Richard David McGowan, who was Mr. Harris' best friend since elementary school.

"He got more curious about it," McGowan said. Mr. Harris encouraged McGowan to take the police test and then McGowan encouraged him. They ended up studying together, going through the police academy at the same time and following the same career path.

Mr. Harris was promoted to detective, then to sergeant in 2001. McGowan and Sgt. Harris are both listed as potential candidates for lieutenant.

City Hall recently commended Sgt. Harris for his role in supervising the cat lady case. In May, hundreds of dead cats were found stuffed into garbage bags in the backyard of a house on State Street owned by Marlene Kess, executive director of KittyKind, an animal shelter.

He was awarded a Command Citation "for his demonstration of police work beyond ordinary duty."

Sgt. Harris' wife, Angela, said he became a police officer because he felt he could make a difference. But she also remembers him as a family man who "just loved life."

She said he spent a lot of time with his nieces and nephews because he liked children.

He also devoted much attention to his 5-year-son, Marc Jr., she said. "He helped him with his letters every day. He wanted him to be able to write sentences."

"He was always willing to help," said Holly Campbell, his sister.

Besides his wife and son, Sgt. Harris is survived by his parents, James and Marie Harris of East Orange, and sisters, Holly Campbell of East Orange and Judy Richburg of West Orange.

A wake will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. today at Unity Baptist Church, 212 Pierson St., Orange. The funeral will be 11 a.m. tomorrow at Christ Episcopal Church, 422 Main St., East Orange.

Cotton Funeral Home of Orange is in charge of arrangements.

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WTPD3534

12-05-2005, 07:14 PM

Farewell Sgt. Harris you will be missed. My thoughts are with his family. :(

njpd

12-10-2005, 01:10 PM

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/njpd/NJPlunge_banner.gif
This February, take an Icy Plunge into the Atlantic Ocean
in the 2006 Polar Bear Plunge
to benefit Special Olympics New Jersey

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

Jellybean400

12-11-2005, 04:53 PM