Police cadets. This photo is from the 2020 memorial in the GA. Paul Goldfinger photo. Blogfinger.net.
Jean Bredin photo. Prior NJ Police Memorial at the Great Auditorium. Hazlet, NJ Police color guard.
Honor guard enters the GA. Paul Goldfinger photo. 2015.
Re-post: By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor Blogfinger.net. Ocean Grove, NJ. May 10, 2023.
Blogfinger.net received this inquiry from an anonymous Grover today: “Will there be a 2023 ceremony this year for fallen officers in Neptune?” In 2022 the event was “virtual.”
Every year there are police casualties, and these spring memorial events are attended by officers from all over New Jersey along with high ranking officials, politicians, and a large number of bagpipers that stretch out around the perimeter of the GA. The officers bring police dogs and horses, and everyone is in uniform. The animals wait outside. It is always very moving and it has become a tradition.
This year, 2023, the event was not scheduled in the Grove. Neither we nor the CMA know why they did not renew the tradition here this year. (2023). We don’t know if the event was scheduled elsewhere.
We could find no record of the event for 2024 nor do we know if there will be a memorial here in 2025
Note that there is a national memorial in Washington for 25,000 law enforcement personnel who died in the line of duty. Many deaths have been”traffic fatalities,” and in some cases the officers did not connect their seat belts. There was a 13% increase in firearms deaths last year.
In 2024, the numbers of police deaths rose. Texas had the most (18,000/year) while New York was second (17,000).
The speech below is from 2022.
THE ROYAL SCOTS DRAGOON GUARDS
And for the families of the fallen and for all those in law enforcement who place their lives on the line for the rest of us every day and night.
THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS: “Oh Happy Day…”
“He taught me how (He taught me how)
To watch and fight and pray
Watch and pray
“And live rejoicing every day
Every day.”