On January 9, 2019, partnering organizations in support of law enforcement officers nationwide will promote a National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day (L.E.A.D.).  In light of recent negativity directed toward law enforcement nationally, there is a need to show law enforcement officers that our citizens recognize the difficult and sometimes impossible career they have chosen, in public service to us all.

Can you imagine going to work each day and wondering if you’ll survive your shift and see your family that night?  Most people can’t.  But in law enforcement, this is a fact of life.  Each day 780,000 police officers across our country put a badge on and go to work knowing they may face extremely dangerous situations.  Yet, they go to work anyway.  Being a law enforcement officer is not just a job, it is a calling.  The pay is low, the hours can be terrible, and there is sometimes little appreciation for what you do.  Yet, they do it anyway.

What the public doesn’t see is the toll law enforcement takes to keep our communities safe.  On average, between 105 and 203 officers die in the line of duty each year, 50,000 officers are assaulted in the line of duty each year, 14,000 officers are injured in the line of duty each year, and over 300 officers commit suicide each year.  There is no other profession in the world, except possibly the military, where you will find these kinds of statistics.

Being a law enforcement officer truly is an impossible job.  You must be professional, courteous, caring and yet be ready to protect the public at all times.  You must be prepared to make life and death decisions in a moment’s notice.  You take an amazing amount of abuse at times, but have to view this abuse as just “part of the job.”  You do not have the liberty to express your emotions during many situations.

Parsippany Police Chief Paul Phillips stated “The last few months of 2014 were difficult, demoralizing and in some cases deadly for American Law Enforcement Officers. This is because some political figures and “self-proclaimed” community leaders have exploited tragic and unusual events to stoke hatred toward police officers and divide our communities. The National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day will let our police officers know that members of our communities recognize the difficult and sometimes impossible job they do.”

Law enforcement officers play such an integral part in our society.  Without law enforcement officers, chaos would reign.  Have you ever thought about what you would do if you were in trouble – a car accident, a home invasion, an assault – and you did not have someone to call for help?  No matter how much abuse law enforcement takes, they continue to do their job, and do it well.  They are the guardians of our way of life and they deserve our support.

On January 9, we call our nation’s citizens to action in support of law enforcement.  Those citizens who appreciate law enforcement and are discouraged about the negative attention being given to law enforcement are encouraged take time on Friday, January 9 to show their support.  Our citizens can show their support in a number of ways:

•    Change your profile picture on social media to the .jpg image (click here)
•    See a police officer?  Thank a police officer
•    Wear blue clothing in support of law enforcement
•    Send a card of support to your local police department or state agency
•    Share a positive story about a positive law enforcement experience on social media
•    Ask children in your community write letters in support of law enforcement
•    Participate in Project Blue Light.  Proudly display your blue light in support of law enforcement.
•    Organize an event or a rally in support of your law enforcement officers

MORRIS COUNTY — Project Help is donating six brand new bicycles to children of veterans in North Jersey.  The bikes have frame sizes of 16 and 20 inches, and one more favorable for girls and the other is fine for either gender.  The difference is in the color of the bikes.

Last month, in time for Christmas, the donated bikes went to Operation Sisterhood in Morristown for two female veterans to bring smiles to the faces of their kids.

This time, we are asking all veterans wishing to have a bike, to fill out the form and give us a couple of sentences about how the bikes will be appreciated.  The child can be a son or daughter, grandchild or other direct family or foster member.

If you are selected to receive a bike for your youngster, you will be giving permission to use your child’s image in Social Media and in press releases, along with name and city of residence.

The bikes are Trek valued at over $250.00 each plus a helmet valued at about $50.00.  There is no cost to the recipient, just the requirement of a couple of pictures and a thank you to Project Help as well as proof of having served in the military…military ID or DD214.  The form can be found on the Project Help website by clicking here.

“Build a Bike” is a program spearheaded by Brian Rendine of UnitedEVENTures, LLC and is sponsored by Ogden Technologies.

The event will take place on January 29 at Full Moon Resort, Big Indian, NY.  35 employees of Ogden will participate in building the bikes, under the watchful eye of Jason Zeigler. Owner of Sussex Bike and Sport on Route 23 in Wantage.  All entries must be received via email or postal mail no later than January 25, 2019.  Email to Sandy@mitchellclan.com or mail to Project Help 55 Bank St., Sussex NJ  07461.

To warm them up for the big bike building challenge, there are about 6 high tech games requiring team action.  For example, toss the ping pong ball into a plastic cup, one ball in each cup wins…very high tech.

Sandy Mitchell of Project Help will be there to talk to the employees about the difficulties of veterans as they transition from the military into civilian life and how Project Help can intervene and help make life a bit easier for them.  She is also looking for a couple of people to help bring the bikes back and deliver them to the recipients by the weekend.  Please give a call if you can help that day or on the following days.  If your company would like to host a build a bike day, please contact Sandy at (973) 875-2068.

PARSIPPANY — Today Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) announced her first co-sponsorship of legislation will be H.R. 8, a bipartisan universal background check bill.

“My first bill co-sponsorship in Congress is a bipartisan proposal for universal background checks,” said Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill. “This is the anniversary of a tragedy that showed that no one is immune from the threat of gun violence. This common sense background check bill is a first step by our new Congress to address this country’s gun violence epidemic.”

To be introduced by Congressman Mike Thompson of California, H.R. 8 comes on the 8th anniversary of the shooting of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords of Arizona that left six individuals dead at a constituent event in Tucson, Arizona. H.R. 8 closes a loophole in current law by requiring universal background checks for gun purchases with specific exemptions for family transfers and recreational hunting.

Representative Mikie Sherrill is a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force in the U.S. House of Representatives. With experience with firearms in the U.S. Navy and as a federal prosecutor that worked to keep guns off the streets of New Jersey, Sherrill has been a strong proponent of gun safety legislation.