Officers from the Manchester Township Police had the opportunity this week to meet Wanaque Borough’s newest honorary police recruit, 19-year-old Aaron Risher.
Suffering from an aggressive form of muscular dystrophy, Aaron’s dream of becoming a Police Officer was cut short. Nevertheless, Wanaque Police Capt. Kenneth Fackina regularly worked with the teen to teach him about law enforcement. His hard work paid off — Aaron recently earned an honorary spot on the force.
When Capt. Fackina contacted law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey to tell them about Aaron’s accomplishment, Manchester responded by sending a small contingent of Officers to visit.
Patrolmen Kyle Rickvalsky, Marc Micciulla and Scott Thompson traveled to Wanaque on Wednesday, July 30, to meet Aaron and bring him gear from Manchester, including hats, patches and a challenge coin.
“We showed him what the law enforcement family is all about,” said Patrolman Rickvalsky. “It was good to see him smiling.”
“It was a great opportunity for our Officers to bring a little bit of happiness to Aaron,” said Capt. Lisa Parker. “The Officers came back from visiting Aaron utterly amazed by his determination and optimism.”