Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, Neptune High School, January 9, 2015. . Paul Goldfinger photo. ©

Memorial service in the Great Auditorium, May, 2013. Paul Goldfinger photo. ©

In 2014, police across the country received accelerated criticism when the Ferguson, Missouri situation erupted last August.  There were riots there at that time and again in November 2014.

On january 9,  2015 there was a police appreciation event at Neptune High School.   We reported on that assembly and we discussed how the press and some of the public across the US had been turning on the police. A number of speakers at the  Neptune event  mentioned the issues, and we quoted them. Here is a link to that article or you can read it below.:

BF report on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Jan 9, 2015.

Subsequently there were further Ferguson eruptions in March, 2015 after the ruling by the Justice Department.  The AP reported that:  “The Justice Department won’t prosecute a Ferguson, Missouri police officer in the shooting death of an unarmed black 18-year-old, but in a scathing report faulted the city and its law enforcement for racial bias.”

This is the gist of that Ferguson PD report:   “In March 2015, the U.S. Justice Department announced that they had determined that the Ferguson PD had engaged in misconduct against the citizenry of Ferguson, by discriminating against African-Americans and applying racial stereotypes, in a “pattern or practice of unlawful conduct.”

Next Tuesday, May 19, 2015, the 31st Annual New Jersey Law Enforcement Memorial Service will take place in the Great Auditorium. It may or may not be appropriate to mention these issues at the service, but we will see if any of the speakers do, especially the Governor.

Will  he say anything on Tuesday to defend the police who always place themselves in harm’s way to protect the public?    Because of the current  assault on our police, the danger to those who serve with honor has increased. This year five New Jersey heroes who died in the line of duty  will be remembered at the service.

All members of the law enforcement community, family, friends , the press, and the public at large are welcome and greatly encouraged to attend. No RSVP is required. It begins at 11:00 am.

JOSH GROBAN   from Les Miserables