There is perhaps no more harrowing job than that of a police officer.
Officers put their lives on the line every day. They know the perils of the job. Some are hidden, while others are very much out in the open. It is what they signed up for.
When Robbinsville Township Detective Adrian Markowski took his oath with the Robbinsville Police Department to serve and protect in 2009, he knew one day that pledge would be extended beyond the scope of his sworn duty to the citizens of Robbinsville.
That call came on July 16, 2014 when, at just before 10:30 a.m. while off duty returning from a doctor’s appointment, a dump truck lost control on I-95 after losing the front passenger side tire and rolling over. The driver of the truck was ejected.
At great personal risk to himself, Markowski pulled over his personal vehicle and, with the help of a U.S. Customs officer, dragged the injured driver away from flammable liquid that spilled onto the roadway, led him to safety and kept him stable unit paramedics arrived.
On June 17, the 200 Club of Mercer County presented Markowski, along with his Trenton Police Department brethren Robert Albanowski and Marlon Parrott, with the R. Peter Hodge Valor Award.
Some of the many highlights in the proclamation I presented to Markowski at John Henry’s Stone Terrace that day on behalf of Township Council and all of our residents include no fewer than 24 certifications; a resume that includes investigating crimes alongside federal, state, county and other municipal agencies; being a two-time recipient of the Grand Cordon Award, a two-time recipient of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award and being named the Robbinsville Township Officer of the Year in 2012.
Personally, I could not be more proud, or honored, to serve as the Director of Public Safety for Robbinsville. In my opinion, we have some of the finest police officers in New Jersey.
Day in and day out, officers around the country put their lives on the line for others. They are asked to make split-second decisions in the heat of the moment. They often do not have time to stop, reflect and gauge reaction or future public opinion while doing their jobs. We have good officers under the command of Chief Marty Masseroni, and I hope other towns are as fortunate as we are.
Any system involving human error is never perfect, and I will be the first to admit it. But think about what would happen if police officers stopped answering 911 calls, even for one day? What would the rest of us do? All lives matter. My perspective as Mayor is we need to keep citizens safe and then make sure that all of our officers get home at the end of their shifts.
Our Township Proclamation to Markowski ends, in part, “Detective Markowski’s selfless bravery beyond the call of duty is an inspiration for all citizens.’’
So very true.
Dave Fried is mayor of Robbinsville.
