In today's world, some people think cops are terrible people and consider them to be "pigs." To me, cops are selfless heroes who work hard to keep their cities safe. Don't get me wrong, there are some bad cops who give the rest of the police community a bad rep, but 99 percent of cops are wonderful people. I truly believe this because I have family members who are active or retired cops--three of my uncles and my cousin. They are some of the best people I know and I'm proud to be related to them. They're tough and they love what they do.
My Uncle Jim is my godfather. He's my dad's brother-in-law (my dad's sister's husband) and is one of my favorite uncles. He is a retired NYPD detective and worked in the narcotics department in the Bronx. As cool as his job may sound, it was so dangerous. My godfather and his co-workers would do a lot of undercover work and arrest tons of drug dealers and addicts in a rough area of the Bronx. Luckily, nothing serious happened to him or to his brothers and sisters in blue. My godfather retired in 2001 after blowing his knee while jumping over a subway gate during a police chase.
This picture was taken in May or June 2002 when my Uncle Jim was honored at my preschool show. My class and I were dressed up as firefighters and sang some songs. My teacher and principal called him up on stage to thank him for his service and gave him flowers. This is my favorite picture of us together.
My dad's two brothers, Robert (left) and Rich (center), and my dad's nephew and my cousin Paul (right) are all Union City Police officers. My Uncle Bob retired from the force about five or six years ago while my Uncle Rich serves as the Police Chief and Paul is a patrolman. Union City holds a special place in my dad's family's hearts because that's where my dad and his siblings all grew up. All three of them take their jobs very seriously and they do their best to keep Union City safe--especially my Uncle Rich.
My Uncle Rich is the youngest Molinari sibling. He joined the force in 1988 as a patrolman and worked his way up through the ranks. Union City is located in Hudson County, NJ; there are some really nice places there and some not-so-nice places. My Uncle Rich was sworn in as Police Chief in November 2013. He is well respected by all his officers and everyone believed he'd be the right choice as the next chief. Being the police chief and a husband and the father of three teenage girls (Aleasa 18, Jackie 16, and Olivia 14) is extremely hard work, but my uncle manages it perfectly. At his 50th birthday party this past January, a lot of his officers said "the day Rich retires, I'm going to retire because I don't want to work under anybody else."
Uncle Jim, Uncle Rich, Uncle Bob, and Paul, thank you so much for your service and being so selfless to keep everyone else safe. It isn't easy being a cop but you wouldn't have any other way. I love you. #BlueLivesMatter
