Middletown Police Officers Chad Souza and Jean Young take part in "The Police Unity Tour" to help raise awareness about their fallen comrades in law enforcement. To give to the cause, visit Unity online.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Matt Sheley at (401) 842-6543 or msheley@middletownri.com
RIDING WITH A PURPOSE
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (APRIL 18, 2024) – Two Middletown Police Officers are riding in an upcoming event to raise awareness about law enforcement officers who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty.
Known as “The Police Unity Tour,” Patrol Officers Chad Souza and Jean Young have participated for years in the bicycle ride from northern New Jersey to Washington DC to honor their lost comrades.
Young said every year, new names are added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial a couple blocks from the U.S. Capitol and National Mall. In 2024, 282 names will be added, 118 of those killed in the line of duty in 2023.
To give to the cause, donations can be made to https://bit.ly/3VymueU online.
“It’s something that Officer Souza and I both believe deeply in and we wanted to get the word out about the Police Unity Tour,” Young said. “It’s an unfortunate reality of our job and it’s something I don’t think a lot of people consider on a day-to-day basis about what we do.”
On April 13, members of the Middletown Police Department, the U.S. Navy and the general public gathered at Young’s One * Asterisk CrossFit Gym on Greene Lane to raise money for the ride.
The fundraiser had individual and team competitions, all to support Souza and Young in the “Police Unity Tour” ride leaving from New Jersey and cycle to Washington, DC, arriving on May 12. They will also participate in the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial candlelight ceremony on May 13.
Young said there are 24,067 names of police officers on the memorial, which is located at 444 E St NW across from The National Law Enforcement Museum. It is known as the only ever changing memorial in the nation’s capitol, where names are added every year.
Souza and Young are part of the Rhode Island Contingent, who ride with the Police Unity Tour Chapter 1 leaving from Essex County, New Jersey. Young said the Rhode Island group is made up of individuals from Newport, Jamestown, Cranston, Providence, Little Compton, Bristol, East Providence, Barrington and Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
“The Police Unity Tour is made up of eight chapters from around the country and internationally.,” Young said. “Our motto is ‘We Ride For Those Who’ve Died.’ We ride in honor of the police officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice. We ride to remember those we lost and the loved ones they left behind. Our goal is to bring awareness to the public.”
Document Link: https://www.middletownri.com/DocumentCenter/View/12354/NYCU-Ride