one of the
= sergeants
= = = = proposed
= = =that= we stripe
= = it like
= the= rest
= of our
vehicles.”
= =
= = =
= =
Indeed,
the same
company
= =
=
=
=that wraps
=
= the
= department’s
=
=
= fleet
scaled
down
black
=
= = its
= operation
= to duplicate
= =
= the gold,
=
= = and
= grey
look for= the
battery-powered
car. It even included working red
=
=
=
and blue
= lights
= = and =a= personalized
=
= “Justin”
=
=license
= = plate.
=
=
“It looks
like
Saudino
= exactly
=
= =one
= of
= our
= cars,”
=
= = = confirmed.
= =
=
The Chief
for a Day
the
=
= = program developed
=
= from
=
= Bergen Coun=
ty=Sheriff’s
= = Office’s
=
= =former Sheriff
= = for
= a Day
= program
=
= that
= had
= been
run= by= Saudino’s
=
= predecessor.
= = Noting
= that =for= the
= county’s
= one
sheriff
= there are 70 department chiefs, Saudino rationalized that
changing the program
to Chief
include
=
= for
= a Day could
=
= that many
=
more kids.
as 30
= In = any= given
= = year, as many
=
= = Bergen County
=
departments
= = = participate in the event.
Mehnert
with
Local
=
= works
=
= each
= = interested
= =
= to look
= = for a child
= in
its= jurisdiction
=
= = who= is sick,
= but= if members
=
= can’t find
= one,
= they
work
their
= = along= with= Hackensack
= =
= Hospital
=
=to recruit
=
= = new= chiefs.
“Sadly we’ve
the
=
= lost
= four =or five
= kids
= over
=
= = years,
= but= you see
=
how
families,”
= =happy= you
= make
= them
= and
= their
=
=
= = emphasized
=
= =
Saudino, who also served as State Delegate for Emerson Local 206
for 18 of the
= 38 years
= he= worked there.
= =
=
=
=
In= Justin’s
case, his= recruitment
began when
=
=
=
= = his
= mother,
= Tyra,
=
was participating
in the= county’s Community Emergency
=
=
Response
Team
=
= = (CERT)
= = course,
= =
= during
= = which
= she met
= = Mehnert.
=
“I was
(with
= socially
= = speaking
= =
= Mehnert) =about
= my children
= = and
was
son,”
= explaining
=
=
=the= issues
= I was having
= with my
= middle
=
recalled Tyra
afflic= Pagan= about
=
= Justin’s
= spinal
= =muscular atrophy
=
=
tion that
= affects
=
=motor =nerve=cells in
= the
= spinal= cord
= =and causes
=
him =to need a lot of one-on-one care. “She started telling me
about the program
and =asked
= =
= if
= it =would be OK for
= Justin
= = to be
chief for
= = a= day.
= I had= no idea it was
= =going to= be= this big and
= this
phenomenal.
It’s= something
=
=
= = he’ll
= =never
= forget and
= as parents
=
= it’s
overwhelming.
=
=I’m so
= grateful for the
= = experience.”
=
= =
= =
=
=
=
= =
= =
=
=
=
=
=
= = = =
=
= =
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
Bergen County police departments pose with the “Chiefs for a Day” on the
steps of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office in Hackensack.
Once his Sheriff’s Office duties were completed, Chief Justin
met up with his 26 fellow Bergen County Chiefs for a Day for a
group photo.
“How do you beat this?” asked Saudino, acknowledging that
while the program is undeniably great for the children, it’s also
great for departments to interact with their respective communities.
“It brings the community a lot closer together as far as the relationship with law enforcement,” elaborated Mehnert. “This is a
great way for an officer to meet the families and help those in
need.”
And for those families, the feeling is mutual.
“This experience alone makes me realize how much law
enforcement really does care,” declared Tyra. “Justin has trouble
going up and down steps, running, tying his shoes and has
muscle weakness in his hands and feet. These are things most
people take for granted on a daily basis, but this is a day to not
focus on what he can’t do. It’s to focus on the strength and
bravery and all the things that he’s accomplished and endured
and this is a day to let him know that he’s strong and it will get
better for him.” d
www.njcopsmagazine.com
n
JUNE 2016
63