Crime & Safety

River Edge Police Bring Christmas Cheer to Son of Fallen Officer

The son of Teaneck Police Officer John Abraham Jr. got a Toys 'R' Us shopping spree.

Police officers from River Edge and Teaneck teamed up to give the son of fallen Teaneck officer John Abraham Jr. a Toys "R" Us shopping spree just in time for the Christmas season, an act of generosity made possible through a growing online community. 

The young Jake Abraham, son of the late township officer, made out with hundreds of dollars worth of the toys, including a remote controlled patrol car and toy police walkie talkies. Jake was joined by Teaneck Detective Ed Kazmierczak, Officers Jason Hosey, Gabe Santiago and River Edge Police Officer Marc Abate.

Jake’s shopping spree was funded in part through an online grassroots effort launched by a Pennsylvania State Police sergeant to help the families of officers who were killed or injured.

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Sgt. Craig Polen explained he started the law enforcement-only Facebook page as something of a digital safe haven for officers after a friend and state police colleague committed suicide.

“There’s things that only we discuss and can understand,” Polen said. “There’s things that only we can help each other through.”

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The group’s members quickly swelled to more than 8,000 people and Polen was inspired to use the success in a fundraising effort for the kids of fallen and injured officers. He put out a call to group members to nominate ten names of children in need for holiday shopping sprees, but the list soon doubled.

“I can’t trim this list down,” he remembered thinking. “These 20 names have been given to us and we need to find a way to do Christmas for these 20 kids.”

Group members donated more than $7,000 to give each child a $350 shopping spree. The three children of slain Jersey City Sgt. Marc DiNardo were among four in New Jersey taken for shopping sprees thanks to Polen’s group. Families across the country benefited from scores of donations collected through the site.

In Teaneck, township police union PBA Local 215 stepped up to match the donations for Jake Abraham, said Kazmierczak, who nominated the officer’s son.

John Abraham Jr., a decorated 17-year Teaneck police veteran, was killed Oct. 25, 2010 when his patrol car slammed into a utility pole on Teaneck Road. He was remembered as a popular officer who loved police work and was quick to help others.

Only hours before his death, Abraham helped save an elderly man who was choking on steak at a local eatery. Abraham and fellow officers restored the man’s pulse and cleared his airway before medics arrived. Despite a reputation as a “cop’s cop,” colleagues said he was also a family-man devoted to Jake.

Polen, the Pennsylvania sergeant, has seen the lasting hardship an officer’s death or serious injury can have on families. Quietly, fellow police have always moved to help each other in hard times in what Polen described as paying it forward through acts of support within the law enforcement community.

“One of the hardest things for police officers to do is say ‘I need help,’” he said. 

For Polen, the success of the online fundraiser has him looking for ways to grow the effort. 

“Next year, we have the option to go a lot bigger.”

He is aiming at providing holiday donations to 40 youngsters next year and looking to add a college fund to further help law enforcement families.

“We need to figure out ways to do more,” he said.

Looking to help? Sgt. Craig Polen can be reached at SgtPolen@hotmail.com or through his website at leo-only.com


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