TOMS RIVER – For 28 years, the Toms River Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 137 has organized a fundraising event called Vest-A-Cop.
This year’s event recently took place at Pizza Hut, which is located on Route 37.
According to Toms River Police Officer Nick Franco, who heads up the Vest-A-Cop Committee, the goal of the annual event is to raise funds to help the Toms River Police Department’s 163 officers pay for their bulletproof vest. He said that equipment is not provided to an officer by the police department.
According to Franco, each bulletproof vest costs about $1,000. Franco reported that the total amount of funding that was raised by the event will be announced in the coming week by the police department.
“A bulletproof vest only lasts for five years. It is something that comes out of the officer’s pocket. The event was founded so the officers (get some help) with the cost. We appreciate it because the event is also an informal way to meet the community on a different level than we normally do on a day-to-day basis,” Franco said.
Franco said he has volunteered for this event since he was a new officer in the police department. He is now in his fourth year as the head of the Vest-A-Cop Committee.
David Healy, the superintendent of schools in the Toms River Regional School District, was one of the many supporters who attended the fundraiser.
“We are out here to support our police officers who support us every day in our school buildings. We work jointly, the school district and local law enforcement, to really support our kids,” Healy said.
Toms River school district spokesman Mike Kenny said eight out of the 18 schools raised almost $2,300 in an event to support the police department called True Blue Monday. It marked the first time that event was held in conjunction with the Vest-A-Cop fundraiser.
“We need to support our police officers. The vests have a life expectancy of five years, so they are on a rotation. Vest-A-Cop goes a long way toward covering the cost for the vests. We also have vests for our K-9 officers, too. It is $1,000 per vest for the dogs, too,” said Toms River Councilman Maurice Hill, who also attended the event at Pizza Hut.
Officer Michael Cassady, who is assigned to the police department’s motorcycle unit, said, “This is a great community. I have been working with Toms River for eight years. Vest-A-Cop is one of our biggest fundraisers for the year. As cops, we purchase our own vests. To see the community care about our safety is just heartfelt.”
In the parking lot of the Pizza Hut and Kmart there was a showcase of classic cars, a bounce house for children, a dunk tank and music. The police officers served as waiters and waitresses for the evening.
Officer Adam Worth is a seven-year veteran of the police force. He volunteered to be in the dunk tank.
“The community is the entire reason I do the dunk tank every year … I love giving back to the community. How many times do you get to dunk a cop in the water? We appreciate the community for coming out and contributing to this cause to keep us safe,” Worth said.