NJ State Assembly honors PBA members in ceremony to celebrate National Women ’ s History Month n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL n PHOTOS BY JIM CONNOLLY
A part of history
NJ State Assembly honors PBA members in ceremony to celebrate National Women ’ s History Month n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL n PHOTOS BY JIM CONNOLLY
NJ Assembly Rep Annette Chaparro wanted to know who the Hoboken officer was that she had just seen take off after a motor vehicle running a red light in front of City Hall . As the vehicle crashed into a couple of cars , that Local 2 member accelerated into full pursuit mode . On foot .
“ My wallet , my phone , everything fell out of my pocket ,” shared Officer Bianca Arroyo . “ But I still went after the car .”
Chaparro called Hoboken Chief Ken Ferrante to let him know the state legislature was looking to honor some outstanding women during National Women ’ s History Month in March , and she wanted to nominate the officer she saw . And so on March 26 , Arroyo and Essex County Sheriffs and Court Attendants Local 183 Officer Beverly Harrison were recognized with citations as role models for women during the Assembly session .
March 26 also happened to be the annual PBA Day at the State House when hundreds of members came to Trenton to show the force of their presence and continue to turn up their voice in legislative matters . For these members filling the Assembly gallery , Harrison and Arroyo were proud to be role models for women and even prouder to be law enforcement officers .
“ I get to work with professionals and that ’ s why I enjoy my job ,” said Harrison , a 22-year veteran who was nominated for the honor by Assemblywoman Shanique Speight , an Essex County Sheriffs Office detective and Local 183 member .
On the other side of the spectrum is Arroyo , who has been on the job since June 2017 . Whereas Harrison was stoic in her acceptance , Arroyo describe the experience as “ like being on a TV show ,” and gave the Assembly some inspirational words . She said she was supposed to write a speech , but when it came time to speak , she spoke from the heart .
“ I wanted people to know that anything is possible ,” Arroyo explained afterward . “ We are already born into this world as a minority , but we have started a women ’ s movement and strides continue to happen . And I ’ m living proof for the future generation that you never give up .”
Long before she ran down the car in front of City Hall , Arroyo learned to never give up . She didn ’ t make it through her first time in the academy , coming up short in qualifying by two shots . Arroyo went to work as a dispatcher and waited for her next opportunity .
She hit the target the second time around . And that helped her develop the fortitude to succeed as a law enforcement officer and as a female law enforcement officer .
“ It broke me in a sense , but I felt like I had to go through that because it allowed me to persevere , be humble and realize it ’ s all about pushing yourself to the next level ,” she commented . “ I honestly see myself as one of the guys . And earning the respect of my colleagues , they see that I can do this job . Don ’ t get me wrong , we live in a very dominated policing world . But when
Essex County Sheriffs and Court Attendants Local 183 member Beverly Harrison was honored during a ceremony at the NJ State Assembly on March 26 recognizing National Women ’ s History Month .
Officer Bianca Arroyo , a member of Hoboken Local 2 , was one of two PBA members recognized as role models during a ceremony to celebrate National Women ’ s History Month at the NJ State Assembly on March 26 .
they see what I ’ ve done and how I ’ ve handled myself , it allows them to have a different outlook for the future women of the department . And being able to make that slight difference can be a huge difference for the future of women .”
Harrison , too , has distinguished herself not necessarily by being a female sheriff but by being a reliable , dependable law enforcement officer . And that has helped her form some simple advice for women who might want to pursue the profession .
“ I would tell them to go for it ,” she asserted . “ They can make a difference every day .” d
40 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ APRIL 2018