The City of Perth Amboy honored three fallen police officers by dedicating two police boats and naming a street in their memory.
The city recently named two police vessels after Police Officer Thomas Raji and David Formeza, while Ogden Place received an honorary street designation that recognizes Police Officer Arcadio Rivera Jr.
At a ceremony held Oct. 20 at the historic ferry slip on Front Street, Perth Amboy Police Department Marine Boat No. 2 was dedicated to Raji and Marine Boat No. 3 was dedicated to Formeza.
Raji was killed Aug. 22, 2008, when his patrol vehicle was struck by a drunken driver in Woodbridge while he was transporting a prisoner to the Middlesex County Jail, according to the city. He served with the department for 10 years.
Formeza died Oct. 28, 2021, from COVID-19. He served with the department for 18 years and was a member of the department's SWAT team.
In a separate ceremony on Nov. 10, the city unveiled an honorary street sign to designate Ogden Place in memory of Rivera, a former U.S. Marine Corps member and 26-year veteran of the police department. According to city officials, Rivera died April 28, 2021, after suffering a medical emergency while driving his personal vehicle off duty.
(Photo Credit: City of Perth Amboy)