MILLTOWN — In 1987, the Police Department lost one of its own.
Howard J. Kline Jr., who was just 28 years old at the time, was hired by Milltown police and entered the Middlesex County Police Academy.
During physical training at the academy, Kline suffered kidney failure. He was transported to a local hospital, where he passed away 10 days later.
“It was considered a line-of-duty death,” Milltown Police Chief Raymond Geipel said.
To raise awareness of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty, two borough police officers — Sgt. Chris Witt and Ptl. Michael Dinis — and police dispatchers Tom Hammell and Richard Moore are riding in the Police Unity Tour, a bicycle ride that runs May 9-12.
The tour also raises funds for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Museum in Washington, D.C. Law enforcement officers from all over ride to the nation’s capital for the event.
Dinis said the Milltown officers will begin their bike ride at the Red Bank marina in the early morning hours of May 9 and meet up with others along the way as they make the approximately 300-mile trek to the nation’s capital from New Jersey.
The two officers and two police dispatchers are participating in the ride for the first time. Dinis said they had to raise $1,800 each.
“We met our goal of $7,200 — and exceeded it,” he said.
Dinis said they received support from the general public, local businesses, Mayor Eric Steeber and the Borough Council, American Legion Joyce Kilmer Post No. 25, family and friends.
The Police Unity Tour’s motto is “We Ride for Those Who Died.” It was organized in May 1997 by Officer Patrick P. Montuore of the Florham Park Police Department in an effort to raise public awareness of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty and to honor their sacrifice.