MARGATE – The city’s Police Department held its annual Law Day event Wednesday, Aug. 15 under the big tent at the Margate Public Library. This year’s event offered new exhibits that delighted parents, grandparents and most importantly, the children of Margate.
Police Chief Matthew Hankinson said it is difficult for small towns to attract public safety exhibitors on National Night Out because they often flock to large events held in more populated areas.
“We started doing this a week or so after National Night Out and when we are able to get other law enforcement agencies to attend,” he said.
Just like National Night Out, Law Day is a great way for the community to learn how to protect themselves against crime and learn about what the different law enforcement agencies operating in the area do to serve and protect citizens.
A large contingent of Margate Police officers attended the event and provided information about infant child seat safety, bicycle registration and more.
Other agencies and officials who attended included Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds and the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office.
Margate Police Department held its annual Law Day event Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024 on the grounds of the Margate Public Library.New this year was the NJ Department of Human Services Police Criminal Investigation Unit, which displayed large and small drones used to track suspects, find lost individuals and provide security during large events.
The unit was started by former Margate Police Officer Donald Maurone, who is now a Special Operations detective sergeant. He left Margate in 2006 to take the position with the state and learned about how law enforcement could use drone technology to protect the public. He proposed the drone unit to officials and was granted the funding to establish the program, which he said has been invaluable to the law enforcement community.
“The drone program has been an effective law enforcement tool and has saved numerous lives and caught many criminals,” he said.
Maurone displayed a large drone that he said could view all of Absecon Island and zoom in on the face of a suspect looking to cause harm. Also on display was a tiny drone that has been used indoors to find suspects trying to hide from police.
Officer Joe Lomonaco of the Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit brough Max, a narcotics-sniffing German Shepherd/Belgian Malinios, who recently retired from service.
Max lives with Lomonaco as a pet. During the event, Max greeted children and adults and seemed to enjoy all the attention. Lomonaco said the department will soon seek a replacement for Max and a handler.
Another new exhibit was the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, which patrols the ocean in federal waters to enforce laws that protect marine wildlife and habitat, such as the Endangered Species Act. The unit displayed a taxidermy white seal, a seal coat confiscated from a smuggler, and large whale teeth that weighed about 5 pounds each.
Another display that caught the eye of many Margate students was the PAL Robotics Team, a group of students of all ages and schools, who meet at the Crossplex in Egg Harbor Township to build robots. The non-profit organization is under the direction of retired Egg Harbor Township Police Capt. Hector Tavarez.
Students Josh Pack and Joseph Heng were eager to inform spectators about the program and the work of their club, which includes refurbishing a no-longer-useful robots. The students had several of their rebuilt robots on display, including a formerly non-functioning bomb detection device that was donated to the club. The students have rewired the robots and are trying to find new uses for them.
When asked who taught them about robots, two of the team members said they didn’t learn anything about them at their schools. Instead, more experienced students teach the younger members of the club.
“We learn this on our own through experimentation,” one team member said, noting that the team has secured funding and old equipment from private donors.
Margate Police Officer Erin Borelli organized the event.
Copyright Access Network 2024
