Marc Kovar Executive Vice President
A life-changing view of National Police Week
I have been to National Police Week in Washington D . C . probably 16 times , and every year it ’ s a once-in-a-lifetime experience . But this year , my experience went so far above and beyond all the pride and exhilaration I have ever felt on the job . And it left me with a renewed appreciation for being a law enforcement officer .
Now , that ’ s saying something , considering that in my position I get a lot of prominent and noteworthy opportunities . Sometimes , you take it for granted . But Police Week allowed me to have a perspective that few people in the world get .
That would be standing on the podium at the Candlelight Vigil , looking out at the Washington Monument and more than 30,000 people attending the defining event of Police Week . Among those were family members of officers lost in the line of duty , thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world and even more thousands who actually support the police .
NJ State PBA President Pat Colligan gave me the honor of this point of view . For the past three years , Pat has stood on that podium to read names of New Jersey law enforcement officers who were lost the previous year . This year , Pat allowed me to read the names .
As I called the names of Summit Officer Matthew Lawrence Tarentino and Christopher A . Vidro of the Montclair State University Campus Police , so many thoughts overwhelmed me . And they left me realizing how we must live every day like it ’ s once in a lifetime .
Of course , I am honored to be one of just four representatives from the NJ State PBA to have the honor of reading the names , joining Pat and Past Presidents Tony Wieners and Mike Madonna . And I was humbled by all the stories of heroism and bravery behind the scene that made that moment standing on the podium so incomparable .
Among those 30,000 gathered for the Vigil were the 2,800 women and men who rode the Police Unity Tour . My first view of the valor that marks Police Week this year came when Chapter 1 of the Unity Tour departed from Florham Park .
Executive Director Harry Phillips and Founder Pat Montoure unexpectedly gave me the honor of addressing riders before leaving . The feeling of wishing them luck on behalf of the entire PBA and witnessing the sea of those making this 300-mile sacrifice for those who made the ultimate sacrifice will last a lifetime .
I think the moment I realized the significance of this opportunity came before the Candlelight Vigil . There was a reception before the ceremony , and being there with police chiefs , state police colonels , military leaders and dignitaries from all aspects of federal government was humbling .
Even more humbling was meeting some of the survivors and hearing their stories : There was a widow from Wyoming who was pregnant when she lost her husband . He never saw his baby , and I just stood there thinking about what more can we do to keep these tragedies from occurring as often as they do .
The night after the Vigil , I attended the Top Cops Awards hosted by the National Association of Police Organizations . The event honors the best of the best in law enforcement each year , and those officers are real heroes . Among them were some of our own : Josh
NJ State PBA Executive Vice President Marc Kovar meets with U . S . Attorney General Jeff Sessions before the NAPO Top Cops Awards .
Vadell and Thomas McCabe from Atlantic City Local 24 and members of Port Authority Local 116 .
Talk about once-in-a-lifetime : Josh lives every day like that because he knows he is lucky to be here after taking that bullet in the head . Josh wishes he could be taking another overtime detail or be sitting in traffic , just like Matt Tarentino and Chris Vidro would . And every time I see Tom McCabe , I say , “ thank you .” He saved Josh ’ s life , and that ’ s another reason we come to Police Week – to celebrate our profession .
Police Week also reminded me that there is real support and appreciation out there for what we do . The Top Cops awards are presented by celebrities who are fans of law enforcement , stars such as Jeremy Ratchford from the television series Cold Case , Abigail Hawk from the show Blue Bloods and Robert Clohessy , who played a correctional officer in Oz . Eddie Money , who served two years with NYPD before becoming a rock star , was a first-time presenter , and he accentuated how much love there is for us out there .
Prior to the awards dinner , I experienced another thrill of a lifetime . U . S . Attorney General Jeff Sessions gave the keynote speech , and I was able to join some of NAPO ’ s elected officers who met with him backstage while he was waiting to speak . Here is the highest-ranking law enforcement officer in the U . S ., and I ’ m having a one-on-one conversation with him . He put politics aside , and asked me about my wife and kids and what he could do to make policing better .
I am so proud to have represented our 33,000 members at Police Week . And when we are going though those 16- or 18-hour days , I will think of how humbling this experience was , and how many of those officers we have lost would love to be here today . Most officers don ’ t get the opportunity to do what I did . I never thought I would have an opportunity like that , and it makes every minute of those long days worth it .
Every one of our members should get to Police Week as many times as you can . Every time you go down there , it will be a new experience . A once-in-a-lifetime experience . d
www . njcopsmagazine . com ■ JUNE 2018 7