2022 Police Unity Tour
Det. Lt. Brian Ford, Florham Park, NJ Police
Beginning on May 9, 2022 several members of the Florham Park Police Department, both current and former, rode their bicycles in Chapter 1 of the Police Unity Tour nearly 300 miles from Morris County, while merging with other national chapters along the way, and ending on May 12, 2022 in the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, in Washington D.C.
This year’s Florham Park PD riders were Det. Lt. Brian Ford, Det. Frank Pietropinto, former Ptlm. and former Borough Councilman Andrew O’Connor, who is also an official ride marshal, and Ptlm. Charles Greenstein, who rode the agency’s Motor Unit, which provides safety and security to all riders. Our local team was comprised of members of Madison PD, Hanover PD, East Hanover PD, the Morris County Sheriff’s Department, Plymouth, Mass. PD, and former San Antonio, TX PD Officer and current Director of the charity, Saving a Hero’s Place in Texas.
The Police Unity Tour was started in Florham Park in 1997 with only 18 riders raising $1,000 each. In its 26th year, it now hosts approximately 2,600 riders (with a waiting list) from all over the United States and some from outside the UnitedStates, including Israel, the United Kingdom, and Germany. In those 26 years, the Police Unity Tour has donated over $33 million to fund the maintenance of and additions to the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Sadly, more names are added to the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall annually. There are three main goals of the Police Unity Tour ride; to raise awareness for Officers killed in the line of duty, to raise the funds necessary to maintain the Memorial in D.C., and most importantly, to ensure those who gave their lives in the line of duty are never forgotten.
The Police Unity Tour is a truly amazing experience. Our Officers have biked the four days through the best of weather (like this year!) and the worst, including freezing, driving rain, winds that stop you in your tracks, and dehydrating heat all on rough roads in some cities, smooth rural highways through beautiful farmlands, and up and down some interesting hills along the way. They have rode side-by-side with survivors – those who have lost loved ones in the line of duty – and continue to meet other Officers and survivors from around the country on each trip. These journeys make bonds that last a lifetime and bring support and encouragement to those families who suffered losses, knowing the name of their loved ones will live on through us.
We are proud to not only be the founding agency of the Tour, which has generated significant national name recognition for Florham Park in the law enforcement community, but also to continue to be able to participate in the Tour and help raise the funds to keep open the living Memorial to fallen Officers. We encourage every Officer to get involved in the tour and encourage all our friends and supporters to make it to Police Week in D.C. in future years, or at the least, maybe visit and pay respects at the Memorial one day. It is an amazing and emotional experience.
Some pics from the recent tour ride can be found on our Facebook page, facebook.com/FlorhamParkPD.
