Crime & Safety
Newark Police Award Several Memorial Scholarships
Awards totaling $10,000 given out in memory of fallen police officers
The Newark Police Memorial Foundation hosted a party Friday night at the Newark Club to honor the city students who received a foundation scholarship.
Each scholarship is named for fallen Newark police officers. Since the foundation began in 2012, more than $50,000 in scholarships have been awarded to Newark youth planning to attend college, trade school or private high schools. The scholarships, paid for through fundraisers like golf outings, cigar nights and other events, have been given out twice a year.
On Friday, $10,000 in scholarships were awarded during a ceremony attended by Police Chief Sheilah Coley, Director Samuel DeMaio, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura, and Anthony Ambrose, a former director of the NPD and now the chief of detectives for the prosecutor’s office. Also in attendance was Phyllis Morgan, the mother of Michael Morgan, who was killed in a robbery attempt two years ago and for whom one of the scholarships is named.
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The recipients are:
Twin sisters Jacqueline and Alexis Idowu, who won the Det. Michael Morgan Scholarship. Morgan was killed Nov. 7, 2011, while attempting to thwart an armed robbery
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Wesley Colon, who won the Officer William Johnson scholarship. Johnson was shot and killed May 26, 2011 in a drive-by shooting..
Triplets Sofia, Victoria and Tonya Ribeiro, who were each awarded the Sgt. Tommaso Poplizio scholarship. Poplizio died March 3, 2007, after his patrol vehicle was rammed during a pursuit.
Glen Calderon, who won the Officer Melvin Lisojo scholarship. Lisojo was killed June 24, 2003, when his patrol car was struck by another vehicle during a pursuit.
Bakir Abdus Sabur won the Officer Dewey J. Sherbo award, who was killed when his patrol car was intentionally struck by another vehicle during a pursuit on Nov. 9, 1997
Bryan Sierra won the Officer John Sczyrek scholarship. Sczyrek was gunned down in court June 3, 1993, by a suspect who was trying to prevent him from testifying
Raven Halloway won the award named for Officer John F. Gottfried, who was shot and killed Nov. 28, 1980, while trying to stop a bank robbery.
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