NEW JERSEY COPS n MAY 2014
31
Monument Man
Local 183 makes final arrangements for unveiling of Jorge Oliveira statue
n BY CHRIS TYMINSKI
LOCAL 183 PRESIDENT
Following the untimely and sudden loss of Detective Sergeant Jorge Oliveira, a 10-year member of the Essex County
Sheriff’s Office who was killed while serving his country in
Afghanistan on Oct. 19, 2011, Local 183 decided to take on a
campaign that assured the Army National Guard Staff Sergeant
would never be forgotten.
The Local approached Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo about dedicating a Park Plaza in Essex County Veterans
Memorial Park in honor of Jorge Oliveira. DiVincenzo agreed
that Jorge exemplified qualities that far exceeded the average
person and the recognition would be appropriate.
On Nov. 22, 2011, Staff Sergeant Jorge Oliveira Plaza in
Newark’s Essex County Veterans Park was dedicated. The ceremony was a wonderful tribute to a tremendous person, but it
just did not seem like our mission was complete.
We quickly realized that Jorge deserved more from his
extended family in the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. On Nov. 23,
2011, the day after the park’s dedication, Local 183 established
the Jorge Oliveira Memorial Fund, from which proceeds would
be utilized to build a statue of Jorge to be placed in Veterans
Park.
At 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 21 at the Essex County Veterans Memorial Park, the culmination of this effort will be realized when Local 183 and the County of Essex will be hosting the
“Jorge Oliveira Statue Dedication” ceremony.
We decided early on that we didn’t want to simply put up a
statue for the sake of fulfilling a promise; we wanted a statue
Wednesday, May 2