Home » Mercer Riders Team Gets Ready for Police Unity Tour

Mercer Riders Team Gets Ready for Police Unity Tour

by Angela Jacobs

Between May 9th through May 12th, the Mercer Riders Team will leave Hamilton, N.J. to join approximately 1500 other cyclists in biking to the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial and Museum located in Washington D.C. for this year’s Police Unity Tour.

The local team represents staff from the Lawrence Township Police Department (Sergeant Christopher Longo, Police Officer Christopher DiMeglio, Police Officer Sean Kerins, Police Officer Andres Mejia, Police Officer Mark Eggert, and retired Police Officer Edmund Budzinki), East Windsor Police Department, Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, Hamilton Police Division, Ewing Police Department, Princeton Police Department, N.J. State Police, and the N.J. Department of Corrections.

In 2016, 123 law enforcement officers were killed while on duty, a 65% increase from the prior year. The Police Unity Tour is an annual national event that elevates community awareness about police deaths and raises funds for surviving families. Additionally, money goes to the upkeep of national law enforcement memorials and specifically, Washington D.C.’s National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial and Museum.

Members of the 2016 Mercer Riders Team at Washington D.C.’s National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial and Museum

The Police Unity Tour started in 1997 by the Florham Park Police Department. At that time, 18 officers rode their bikes from Florham Park, N.J. to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. Today, nine chapters across the United States make the annual trip. In 2016, $2.5M was raised bringing the grand total raised since the event began to over $20M.

Click here to visit the Lawrence Police Unity Tour Facebook page.

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