"Patrolman Joseph Wargo's Law" directs the Department of Transportation to establish a roadside memorial sign program for police, firefighters and EMTs killed in the line of duty
ROXBURY -- Judy Shoudy of Roxbury felt something special needed to be done after her friend, Mount Arlington Police Officer Joseph Wargo, was killed in an on-duty accident by an alleged drug-influenced driver headed the wrong way on Route 80 on Oct. 16, 2011.
"He was a great cop and a great human being," said Shoudy, who was then working as an emergency medical technician in Mount Arlington and served with Wargo on emergency calls. "Everyone misses him."
Mount Arlington police created a "beautiful memorial" for Wargo on Route 80 near the site of the crash in Roxbury, Shoudy said. But she wanted a way to permanently remember Wargo, a resident of Lopatcong Township in Warren County, and to ensure the memorial is always there.
More than four years after the crash, both the Assembly and Senate have passed "Patrolman Joseph Wargo's Law," which directs the state Department of Transportation to establish a roadside memorial sign program for police, firefighters and emergency medical service workers who die in the line of duty.
The Senate approved the bill in June, the Assembly passed it a week ago and now it awaits only the signature of Gov. Chris Christie before it becomes law.
While a number of memorials to fallen police officers and other first responders have been erected around the state (see accompanying photos), the new law ensures there are standards in place for roadside memorials and that the memorials are not torn down, Shoudy said.
Among those honored by memorials are the late Trooper Werner Foerster, killed in a confrontation involving radical Joanne Chesimard in 1973; and the late Trooper Philip Lamonaco, killed by anarchist Thomas Manning following a traffic stop on Route 80 in 1981.
Wargo's killer, Michael Cassella, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in 2013, but is now seeking to throw out blood and urine tests used against him in the case, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision. A hearing in that case is scheduled to conclude on Wednesday.
Shoudy, whose husband is a retired police officer, and who has one son who is a policeman and another pursuing a career in law enforcement, said she did some research and realized there was no law allowing a roadside memorial to be put up, so those that exist "could be removed at any time."
Shoudy said she carried a petition with her "everywhere I went,' including public gatherings."
"I feel those lost in the line of duty should be honored every way possible," she said.
Shoudy said she approached Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco (R-Morris), convinced him the project was worthwhile, and he led the effort and sponsored the bill in the Assembly.
"For a civilian to come up with something and have it actually happen, it's quite unusual," Shoudy said. "I am absolutely thrilled."
Assemblyman Bucco, in an interview, acknowledged the bill was Shoudy's idea.
"She came to me and said she was concerned" about Wargo's memorial, Bucco said.
"She wanted to be sure that what was being done would not be disturbed," Bucco said. "I could not have agreed more."
"I thought it was a great idea and I ran with it," he added.
The bill was also sponsored by Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union) and in the Senate by Bucco's father, Sen. Anthony R. Bucco (R-Morris).
"The selfless acts of fallen heroes should never be forgotten, and the memorial sign program is just one small way that we can help to preserve the memory and legacy of those who died in the line of duty," said Bucco, a 30-year member of the Boonton Volunteer Fire Department and a life member of the New Jersey State Firemen's Association.
Bucco said there had been problems in the past, recalling one instance when a state trooper was killed in an accident and "his family and friends put up flowers at the site."
"Somebody cleaned it up," Bucco recalled. "The family and friends were mortified when they heard about it."
Bucco said he looked into what other states had done regarding roadside memorials and used some of those measures as guidance.
Now, "The DOT will come up with regulations and a process" by which people can build a roadside memorial, Bucco said.
Bucco said the memorial will not cost taxpayers anything, because "the people requesting the memorial have to pay the cost."
The monuments won't be funded by state or local governments, although they will require some staff time by the DOT, Bucco acknowledged.
Ben Horowitz may be reached at bhorowitz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @HorowitzBen. Find NJ.com on Facebook.