The President’ s Message
NEW JERSEY STATE POLICEMEN’ S BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE BOARD
PATRICK COLLIGAN State President
MARC KOVAR Executive Vice-President
Peter Andreyev 1st Vice-President Henry Werner 2nd Vice-President Michael Pellegrino 3rd Vice-President Mark Aurigemma 4th Vice-President Eugene Dello 5th Vice-President Keith Bennett 6th Vice-President Richard Kott 7th Vice-President Frederick Ludd, Sr. 8th Vice-President Luke Sciallo 9th Vice-President Frank P. Cipully 10th Vice-President John Cernek 11th Vice-President Ed Carattini, Jr. 12th Vice-President
Michael Kaniuk Financial Secretary Margaret Hammond Recording Secretary John Monsees Treasurer
Michael Freeman Trustee Bryan Flammia Trustee Robert Ormezzano Trustee Terrance Benson, Sr. Trustee Rodney Furby Trustee Charles Schwartz Trustee Patrick Moran Trustee
Joseph A. Macones Sergeant-at-Arms Sean Plasket Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Tardio Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Heller Sergeant-at-Arms Keith Curry Sergeant-at-Arms Christopher Ricciotti Sergeant-at-Arms John Granahan Sergeant-at-Arms Andrew Pacucci Sergeant-at-Arms Joseph Nigro Sergeant-at-Arms Kelly Polack Sergeant-at-Arms Glenn Pagano Sergeant-at-Arms
Remembering Bobby Smith and matters related to PFRS
Feeling blue at a Line of Duty Death funeral
On Sept. 16, those of us who were at the PBA Convention in Phoenix had the extraordinary honor of hearing Louisiana State Trooper Bobby Smith tell the
story It’ s of incredibly his incredible difficult, and to truly try and unbelievable write an upbeat, journey end-of-year through life column. His story having what just returned I know will from be rom a profound the funeral and of lasting Trooper impact Frankie on Williams many of, our another lives
had that New day Jersey.. New Jersey law enforcement officer whose life was tragically cut short. If you have spent any time in a law-enforcement uniform and have On Oct. 2, we woke up to the surreal news that Bobby Smith had passed yet to attend a funeral for a Line of Duty Death, you need to make a personal
Patrick away commitment through the to attend night. I one can
.’ It t even is an begin incredibly to adequately moving experience tell his story. on these
Colligan pages I’ ve. If said you it weren before’ t more at the than convention once: There and is want no other to learn profession about his( other inspiring than
Patrick story our brothers please see and page sisters 52 or in visit the www fire services. visionsofcourage) in which. com a tragic. We death lost another causes
Colligan true complete hero on strangers Oct. 2, a to blind get man into cars who and taught board more planes than 1 to million travel hundreds people since, or 1986 how to see even. thousands, of miles to grieve together. At a time of profound sadness
If you follow New for the Jersey officer politics’ s family, even, we a little gather bit, in you the witnessed thousands one, and hell sometimes of a ride in the tens first of days thousands of October, to. If honor you weren the loss’ t happy. with the political landscape at any one moment in those
For that day, you are reminded why you made the choice to get into this crazy profession.
days, you only had to wait about 15 minutes for the score to change. The score changed often Our petty differences, the promotional exam, the family problems and the department issues It forced us, for many reasons, to endorse a gubernatorial candidate much quicker than we
suddenly become very insignificant when you are literally standing in that massive sea of blue had. anticipated You read the
. I shoulder will explain patches the landscape and shake and your how head quickly. Wisconsin it moved. California at our
. Oct Texas
. 18. Utah
state
and meeting many. We others also. have Complete the great strangers honor to of Trooper introducing Williams our endorsed. They’ ve never candidate met,, yet Ambassador here they are Phil, paying Murphy respect, at that in meeting a way that. only we can.
I Later remember in the my pages first of funeral this issue for a you Line will of Duty hear Death more. about Officer the David plan C to. Douglass split PFRS Sr. from of Lower the Township state as a stand-alone was shot system killed in run an as exchange a public of labor gunfire management in 1994. It is plan one. I of will those say moments that after that almost is seared two years in your of research memory, I forever haven’ t – found the viewing one single, the reason wife, family not to and do it just, but the many enormity reasons of the to do event it.. The funeral procession arrived at the cemetery and we still hadn’ t moved from the church. Indescribable. Since then his son, David C. Douglass Jr., has proudly followed in his father
The’ s plan footsteps will have. I hope zero he impact remembers on the how other we systems honored
. We his will dad still
. contract with the Division to A cut lot checks of what and we do administer this job parts sometimes of the plan seems so pretty nobody dysfunctional gets laid off,. and Standing much alone of it probably plan is will. But be something ranked in we the really top 150 know pension how to plans do is in honor the country those who, and make we will the ultimate still be able sacri- to
, our
fice purchase, and we investments do it very well at the. I’ d best really possible like to rates hope. that Trooper Frankie Williams would be my last The Line NJ of State Duty pension funeral, investments but sadly it will lostnot almost. There 1 percent will be another this past, hopefully year. When not compared for a long time nationally, but when, you there should is know I hope that you took will attend a lot of. work It is a. life-changing Quite simply that experience should. not have happened As Marc. Standing I crisscross alone would the also state give joining us greater you in control your holiday to restore season COLA celebrations much quicker, we’ d than like to thank you for your comments, questions and good wishes. It’ s very refreshing to see that
Chapter 78 would ever allow and eventually return us to the days of a single tier. Most importantly, the new plan would still be considered a“ public” plan, and we would maintain the
many of you are engaged in our issues and follow what we are doing. Agree or disagree, Marc and I make every decision on what we believe is best for all of you. It’ s our pension, too. They are constitutional our benefits right, too. to They a pension are our
. working conditions and it’ s our reputation.
On The behalf bill has of been Marc drafted and the and Executive as expected Board is, I already’ d like to at wish 47 pages all of. I you think a happy most, would joyous agree, and most that the importantly state isn’ t, very a safe good holiday at running season. a dpension. Nothing will ever protect us from a downturn in the market, but at least we can make sure their hands are out of our wallets.
Also in this issue, you will read about Kevin Lyons, the NJ State PBA-endorsed candidate for Retiree Representative to the PFRS Trustee Board. His background and knowledge about pension issues speaks for itself. He is not one of the many candidates that suddenly jumped into this race because the mood struck him. Many of those candidates truly have no concept of what that PFRS Board does as evidenced by their campaign materials. Kevin has been involved in union issues for decades and will bring that knowledge and passion to the PFRS Board. If you are a retiree who cares about your pension, make sure you vote. And I hope you will vote for Kevin Lyons.
Finally, we find ourselves again in another tragic period of law enforcement officers being injured and killed. As I said at the beginning of the month, there will be no street protests or politicians calling for justice; just officers and families mourning the loss of another hero. The answer to this insanity will not happen overnight, but the tide will change again. I pray it is much sooner than later.
Stay safe! d
4 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ DECEMBER 2016