A memorial commemorating Long Branch Police Officers fallen on duty is expected to get a makeover.
Jason Roebuck, Long Branch director of Public Safety, said during the Dec. 22 City Council’s workshop meeting, an outside group has proposed restoning and incorporating granite in the memorial that is currently sitting outside of city hall memorializing the three former officers who died on duty.
“I was approached back in the summer by someone who is interested in redoing the memorial that we have outside,” he said. “He owns a landscaping supply business and was originally from Long Branch.
“The great thing about this, is the people who he works with, they do a few of these each year.”
Roebuck said the proposal is by Joe Ciambrone, owner of Freehold-based V&F Landscape Supply and a former Long Branch resident. “He initiated when he saw what we had here and he’s been around here his whole life and he’s very excited,” Roebuck said.
According to Roebuck, the proposal also includes relocating the memorial from the west side of City Hall to the east side of the building.
“We got together a few times and we decided that the spot that we have now wasn’t really going to work and decided to look for a new spot for it,” he said.
Roebuck also said part of the project may have to be funded by an outside group.
“The only thing that he wanted to add that would not be paid for is a bronze sculpture,” he said. “I talked to the PBA [Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local #10] and they are willing to raise the money to do that.
“It probably wouldn’t go up at the same time, we would probably do the rest of it first and they said they can get started pretty soon. We will raise the money probably in the next year to get the bronze.”