Area Police Offer Crime Prevention Tips at Expo

Patrol cars, horses and motorcycles were among the forms of transportation on display at the annual Essex County Police Expo held at the Livingston Mall on Saturday.

Caldwell Police Chief Kurt Dombrowski was among those in attendance during the six-hour event that featured various crime prevention demonstrations, including Internet safety. 

Children's fingerprinting was also performed, while the Kid Care Child ID Program allowed parents to obtain a photo of their child for identification purposes.

Many police departments from around the county attended the event as did area firefighters, members of the National Guard, McGruff the crime dog and even Batman.

The annual Expo is sponsored by the Essex County Crime Prevention Association and highlights the work and capabilities of law enforcement on the local, county and federal level throughout Essex County. The expo, which has been a tradition for more than a decade, corresponds with the start of National Police Week, which culminates on Peace Officer Memorial Day on May 15.

Peace Officer Memorial Day was created in 1961 and signed into law by President John F. Kennedy to remind the public of the dangers and sacrifices of America's law enforcement officers.

On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line-of-duty somewhere in the United States every 53 hours. Since the first known line-of-duty death in 1792, nearly 19,000 U.S. law enforcement officers have been killed on the job.