These continue to be very challenging days for law enforcement.
We live in difficult times, but imagine if you needed help and called the police, but no one responded.
On July 16, I signed an Executive Order declaring August 6-12, 2018 “Police Appreciation Week,” I did this for the third straight year to help counteract the negative attitudes and perception toward law enforcement all over the world. Everyone has the right to protest and be dismayed any time an innocent person is assaulted or killed. But advocating violence against police, first responders, or everyday citizens will always be unacceptable.
Lifetree Church Pastor Dan Greco best sums it up when he says: “We are better together. Love lives in the light.”
We should all continue to focus on how far we have come over the past 50 years. Are we perfect? No. Are there a few bad apples in every profession? Of course there are. Can we do more? Obviously we can. I tend to direct my focus on the present with an eye toward the future by asking: What can we can do to better cultivate a climate of tolerance, acceptance and anti-violence?
I have no doubt the Robbinsville community once again will respond to our call this year by tying Navy Blue ribbons around their mailboxes and swapping out their white porch lights for blue. Local businesses (and residents) can prominently display “We Support Law Enforcement” signs (thank you Triangle Copy!), while all Township buildings will be adorned in blue.
We chose this week in August to honor law enforcement because it corresponds with National Night Out, which will be held on Tuesday, August 7 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Police Headquarters. Celebrating its 35th anniversary, National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. NNO provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Millions take part in NNO across thousands of communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August.
Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much, much more. For more information on our event, contact Sgt. Tom Egan at thomase@robbinsville.net.
We hope to see you there!
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I would like to give a big shout-out to D-14 Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo, Sen. Linda Greenstein and the “Fair Funding” team for leading the fight at the State House to get the Robbinsville School district more of the state aid it is entitled to.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Friday, July 14 that Robbinsville will receive $6.78 million annually in total school aid—a 117 percent annual increase. Third-quarter tax bills will be delayed, perhaps as long as a month as a result, but this is very good news for students, faculty and taxpayers.
Well done everyone!
Dave Fried is the Mayor of Robbinsville Township.
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