By KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
EDISON — Two Edison police officers represented the 185-member Edison Police Department as well as the entire community last week when they attended the funeral services for the five Dallas police officers who were killed in the line of duty on July 7.
The two officers, who Police Chief Thomas Bryan said the department is not naming, are part of the department’s 13-member Honor Guard.
They were chosen to represent the township and were joined by thousands of officers from police departments nationwide at services for Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer Brent Thompson and police Senior Cpl. Lorne B. Ahrens on July 13 and at services for police Sgt. Michael J. Smith on July 14. Final funeral arrangements were not complete for slain Officers Michael Krol and Patrick Zamarripa at the time of press.
The five Dallas police officers were killed by Micah Xavier Johnson on July 7 as they guarded a crowd of peaceful protesters calling attention to alleged excessive police force, which occurred the day before in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Falcon Heights, Minnesota.
Johnson was killed after a standoff with police that lasted hours. Police used a remote-control disposable robot with a bomb attached to it to kill Johnson, according to media reports.
“Our police department stands in unity with the Dallas law enforcement community,” Bryan said. “Every man and woman, here or anywhere else, who swore an oath to protect and serve their community understands the risks of this job. When tragedies like this occur, we feel the loss and sadness profoundly.”
The two Edison officers flew to Texas on July 12. Their expenses were paid by Edison Police Benevolent Association (PBA) Local 75 and the Superior Officers Association.
After the violence in Dallas, Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey ordered flags outside the Edison Municipal Complex lowered to half staff, and members of the town’s uniformed services placed black mourning bands on their badges.
“At times like these, it is important for diverse communities like Edison to stand together in unity and show mutual respect and tolerance,” said Lankey. “Each of us must recognize there is no room for divisiveness in our hearts, our minds or our town.”
The Edison department’s PBA president, Michael Schwarz, said in the face of such senseless violence in Dallas, Edison is very proud to show “unconditional, unwavering support for our brothers and sisters in blue and for their families.”
Chief Bryan and Schwarz emphasized that Edison does not have a racial, ethnic or cultural divide between its residents and police officers.
“That takes dedication and work,” Bryan said. “Our officers believe in the value of community policing, and they routinely work to maintain and strengthen a respectful, supportive relationship with our broadly diverse population.”
Other police departments across central New Jersey also sent officers to attend funeral services, including the City of South Amboy.
In a Facebook post, it stated South Amboy Police Chief Darren LaVigne assigned two officers to attend the funeral services.
“The officers will bring with them the sympathy and solidarity of the [South Amboy Police Department] and our city,” the post stated.
The Monmouth County Sherriff’s Office held a candlelight vigil at the Monmouth County Police Academy in Freehold on July 11 to honor the Dallas officers.