Local 18 remembers and honors three
North Bergen Local 18 brought the significance of May 15’s
National Police Day close to home when its members honored three
police officers that lost their lives while serving the community.
Chief Robert Dowd and Lieutenant Arthur Del organized the
event after Del heard one officer’s story in particular: Patrolman
Albert Cabrera tragically took his own life on May 15, 1991. His
young age and short tour with the police department struck a chord
with Del.
“I thought everybody has to know this story,” attested Del. “We
have to figure out a way to tell it and not avoid the fact that an officer
committed suicide.”
Del, with the help of Patrolman Alfredo Echeverria, invited the
families of all three officers – including Patrolman Romeo Caino,
who was struck by a vehicle while exiting his patrol car on Sept. 15,
1959, and Patrolman Joseph Peters who passed on July 7, 1981 from
carbon monoxide poisoning while on a stakeout in his patrol car –
and honored them with plaques to be placed on the wall of the
department’s training room, which is now dedicated to the three
former patrolman.
Dowd took it one step further, making it a learning experience for
his current officers as he related each incident to a training issue –
from remembering the tactics taught in the police academy to
inspecti