NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MARCH 2014
Special Forces
The Opening Ceremonies for the USA Games will take place
on the afternoon of June 15 at the Prudential Center in Newark.
Approximately 112 buses carrying athletes, coach and family
members will convoy into The “Rock” parking lots around 4
p.m. and threaten to create the biggest traffic jam in New Jersey
south of the GW Bridge.
Former Port Authority Police Chief Bob Belfiore, the chairman of the SONJ Law Enforcement Planning Committee, said
he has been getting a great initial response from New Jersey
agencies to get involved. The Mercer County Sheriff’s Officers
and Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office have led the charge, so
far. But with challenges that come with the Opening Ceremonies such as traffic, security and other details, Belfiore said,
“Everybody’s radar is up, so we want to make sure we have more
officers than we need.”
This is one of the primary reasons NJ State PBA President
Tony Wieners asked Special Olympics to have a member of his
organization added to the state committee as a liaison. Nobody
could be a better choice for that job than Kevin Lyons.
In between heading the Legal Protection Plan and overseeing Health Benefits initiatives for the PBA, Lyons, who retired as
Long Beach Township Local 373 State Delegate last fall, can be
seen at many PBA charity events. He has been known to grab
a line at the Plane Pull, play a few plays at the Snow Bowl and
take on the Polar Bear Plunge.
In 2000, he said he experienced what he called his indoctri-
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33
nation to Special Olympics by
running a leg of the Torch Run
with his Local members. And
he was more than ready to hit
the ground running when
asked to join the SONJ Committee.
“Tony called me in with
(Executive Vice-President)
Keith (Dunn) sitting there, and
he said I need you to do something,” Lyons said. “With a
cause like this, you don’t hesitate. I jumped in with two feet,
and a lot of other people’s feet.”
The first feet forward have come from State Corrections Local
105, which Lyons said has jumped in with both volunteers and
financial support. He is estimating that 150-200 officers per day
will be needed, including those working the overnight shifts at
the residence halls in the athletes’ villages.
The greatest concentration of volunteers will be devoted to
Mercer County Park, where cycling, soccer, softball, tennis,
baseball and triathlon competitions will be held.
The greatest obstacle might be police department restrictions on volunteering. Lyons wants to make sure all chiefs know
that volunteering officers will be properly insured, they will get
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