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