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Another jeep for the boro’s fleet
(by Kathryn A. Burger - June 24, 2008)
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Photo Courtesy Of The Park Ridge Police Department
Borough resident Tracey Dickinson recently donated her second Jeep Cherokee to the Park Ridge Police Department. A long-time supporter of the department’s D.A.R.E. program, Dickinson designated her first Jeep for use in that program. She recently turned over the second to Chief Joseph Madden. In “exchange” for the keys, Madden presented her with a bouquet of thanks for her generosity.
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When it was time for Tracey Dickinson to replace her Jeep Cherokee a few years ago, she could have traded it in on her new one. Instead, she decided to donate it to the Park Ridge Police Department.
“I thought they might be able to use it with their D.A.R.E. program,” she said. It was in great condition, but “it had a lot of mileage (about 70,000 miles) on it and I decided to get a new one.”
Dickinson, a seven-year resident of the borough, became involved with the D.A.R.E. program shortly after moving to Park Ridge. She explained why. “My 19-year-old brother died of a drug overdose. He was my only brother. It was very sad,” she said simply. He died in 1969, but that sadness, still keenly felt decades later, prompted Dickinson to help in the department’s efforts to teach youngsters about the dangers of abusing drugs and alcohol.
Monetary donations from individuals such as Dickinson, as well as from area businesses, enables the department to offer the D.A.R.E. program to district students. The program is funded entirely by donations.
The department began its D.A.R.E. program in 1989 and it now serves district students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and the high school.
So this spring, when it was time to replace her Jeep Cherokee again, she immediately thought of the police department. She contacted Chief Joseph Madden who quickly accepted her offer.
Dickinson said, “The first one went to the D.A.R.E. program. Perhaps this one can be used by the Detective Bureau.” Asked about her largess to the department, she said, “It’s a win-win for the police department, the town and for myself. I could turn it back to the dealer, or donate it to another organization, but you don’t really know where those vehicles wind up.” By donating it to the department, she said, “I know it will be put to good use.”
She continues to support the D.A.R.E. program in hopes that a tragedy like her brother’s death can be averted. “It’s important to get the word out to kids early about the dangers of drugs and violence,” she said.
Kathryn A. Burger's e-mail address is burger@northjersey.com.
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