Cranford Police Honor The Fallen In Unity Bike Tour

CRANFORD, NJ - The Cranford Police Department will once again take part in the upcoming Police Unity Tour bicycle ride to honor the sacrifices of police officers killed in the line of duty and are asking residents to consider showing support through donation.

Captain Guy Patterson, Sgt. Joseph Stulpin and Patrolman Joseph Sherbo will be riding the close to 300 miles from New Jersey to Washington D.C. Auxiliary Sergeant John Guempel will be following in a vehicle providing support along the multi-day ride.

They will depart New Jersey on May 9.

Officers and surviving family members of fallen officers from across the United States will converge on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. on Sunday, May 12.

The Police Unity Tour was started by Chief Patrick P. Montuore of the Florham Park Police Department, with the hope of bringing public awareness of Police Officers who died in the line of duty and to honor their sacrifices. The first event included 18 riders on a four-day fund-raising bicycle ride from Florham Park, NJ to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. Over time, the event has grown to encompass nine-chapter organizations consisting of nearly 2500 members nationwide. In addition to officers representing 40 different states, participants have traveled to the event from Australia, Canada, England, India, Israel and Italy.

Each year, Cranford Police Officers ride to honor recently fallen officers and for Cranford Patrolman Robert F. Hand, who died in the line of duty serving the citizens of Cranford on Feb. 11, 1975. This year is special for all those participating and even more so for Sherbo. Sherbo will be riding in honor of his late father, Patrolman Dewey J. Sherbo III of the Newark Police Department. Patrolman Dewey Sherbo was killed in the line of duty on Nov. 9, 1997.

"The Police Unity Tour is a great non-profit organization whose membership is second to none. Their efforts to honor the fallen and embrace surviving family members are inspiring," Patterson said. "Not just to the people greeting us at the Memorial but to everyone we pass along the four-day trip. All of us on Team Cranford Police are excited to ride with Patrolman Sherbo as he honors his father. It’s going to be a great ride.”

Through sponsorship and donations, officers participating in the Police Unity Tour raise funds that are donated to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF). The NLEOMF is responsible for maintaining the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. where all officers fallen in the line of duty are engraved on the memorial’s walls. Captain Patterson and Detective Derek Farbanec participated in the May 2018 event which resulted in over 2.8 Million Dollars being donated to the NLEOMF, bringing total donations to the fund since inception to over $22 million dollars. The Cranford Officers have committed to raising over $2,000 each through their participation in the tour. They hope to present a check this year that is over $3 million dollars.

Cranford Police Chief Ryan Greco commended his officers for participation in the Police Unity Tour.

“These officers dedicate a great deal of time and effort training and fundraising for this event," he said. I’m proud to have them representing the Cranford Police."

Those interested in donating to Team Cranford can do so by either visiting the website or sending a donation to:

Mail Address for General Donations
Police Unity Tour Chapter I
P.O Box 528
Florham Park, New Jersey 07932

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