Marc Kovar
Executive Vice President
Don’t forget why we took this job
I used to love going to work during my early years on the job in
Passaic walking the 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. beat. Those were some of the
best years of my life. We knew all the business owners and the
citizens. It was really community policing back then.
Nowadays, we don’t feel so invested in defending the rule of
law and keeping the peace. Times are tough and getting tougher.
With body cameras and cellphone video, every time we respond
to a call feels like walking into a tenth avenue freeze-out.
But rather than dwell on forces we can’t control who don’t re-
ally understand what we do, let’s ring out 2018 trying to recap-
ture some of those glory days. In November, we celebrated our
122nd Annual NJ State PBA Valor Awards. It’s a night when so
many members get the recognition they have earned, and I love
hearing the stories about how they run into a burning house,
pull out somebody who was hurt in a major accident or stop for
gas and stop a robbery in progress while off duty.
This was a great night to thank all our members for the hard
work they have done during 2018, and to feel like 2019 is going to
be a great year. And it prompted me to remember what we love
most about this job:
The camaraderie: Working as a law enforcement officer offers
a sense of belonging that can’t be found in many other careers.
When the chips are down, we band together to cover each other’s
back. We help each other take the good with the bad, and that’s
one of the ties that bind.
Helping others: There truly is nothing like the feeling that
you’ve done something to make someone else’s life just a little
better. Citizens might feel that that if they encounter a law en-
forcement officer on the job, they’re probably not having a very
good day. But most officers know that they can affect the out-
come and change people’s lives simply based on what they do.
Saving lives: The truth is, law enforcement officers save lives
every day. Natural instinct takes over, and we put ourselves in
harm’s way to protect the innocent or defenseless. Sometimes,
it makes the news, like when we run up four flights of steps to
pull a child or an elderly person out of a burning building. Most-
ly, though, there are countless others we will never know about,
like the person who changed their driving habits after getting a
traffic ticket, the drunk driver who was taken off the road before
he could crash into another vehicle or the would-be robber who
changed his mind simply because he saw a patrol car drive by.
Even the smallest things we do save lives every day, and there are
few feelings as satisfying.
Helping kids: Nobody thinks about helping kids when they
take this job, but I think it’s one of the best things we do. We see
the worst of the worst when we go to a domestic and a child has
been abused or is left without a parent. We come back to the of-
fice, and we start kicking around ideas about how to help that
kid. Suddenly, we have raised thousands of dollars to make that
child’s life better. That’s the human side of policing that helps
so many kids build positive relationships with law enforcement.
How great is that feeling?
The authority: There’s something to be said for being able to
tell people to do something and have them listen (when they
do). It’s also nice to see a problem and be able to fix it. When
authority is used properly and for the good of others, it’s great to
be able to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
The respect: It’s often said that everyone hates cops until they
need one, but we still have a measure of respect in their commu-
nity. Among our circles of friends, civic organizations or other
community involvements, we are often looked to as leaders and
examples to be followed. Also, there’s nothing like the way kids
look at you with pride when they see you in uniform.
Getting the bad guy: There’s nothing worse than sitting in a
van for 10 hours on a stakeout, and you can’t even get out and
go to the bathroom. But after sitting there for two months and
you finally have enough to arrest the suspect and maybe take
hundreds of pounds of drugs off the street, well, that’s when we
know we’re tougher than the rest.
Once again, let’s look forward to a great remembering all the
great things you do every day. Please enjoy a wonderful holiday
season and make sure you get home safe each and every day.
Welcome, new State Delegates
The following State Delegates were sworn in at the NJ State PBA meeting Nov. 13 in Atlantic City:
• Geoffrey Bass, Union City
Local 8
• Constantinos (Dino) Apostola-
kos, North Bergen Local 18
• Mark Roskowsky, Fair Lawn
Local 67
• Darren Smith, New Jersey
State Human Services Police
Local 113
• Frank Warther, Bergen County
Sheriff’s Department Local 134
• Lorenzo Passano, Wayne
Local 136
• Kerry A. Rodriguez, Union
County Correction Officers
Local 199
• Brian Rea, New Jersey Transit
Police Local 304
• Anthony Engel, Palisades Inter-
state Parkway Police Local 388
www.njcopsmagazine.com
■ DECEMBER 2018 7