‘More than a police officer’

The Westville-based organizations 4 Heroes Charity and Rolling Badges are teaming to host the second annual ride in memory of Deptford police officer Bobby Shisler on Saturday, May 31.

Shisler died in May of 2023 from injuries sustained in the line of duty. The event will begin at Deptford High School and end at the Shisler Memorial, 929 Edgewater Ave. in Westville. It will start with on-site registration at 8:30 a.m.; motorcyle and Jeep riders will take off at 10:30.

“He was more than just a police officer,” said 4 Heroes Charity chairman Les Whinna. “Bobby was a brother, a cousin and a friend.”

“It’s not just an all-Deptford initiative,” explained ride organizer Daneen Kressley. “We feel like it wasn’t just Deptford, but New Jersey, Pennsylvania and anywhere else that knew about Bobby and were affected by the tragedy.”

Other area police departments are expected to participate, both with their own motorcycle units and regular patrol vehicles. Anyone who wants to pay their respects to Shisler and his family is invited.

After a brief tribute at the Shisler memorial, the ceremony portion of the event will include K-9 demonstrations from area police departments and a live band performance. A barbecue will be provided, and care and refreshments, if necessary, will be offered by Revive Wellness, according to Whinna.

“We learned some lessons from last year so that we can make sure everyone is safe,” he said.

Individuals or clubs can register a motorcycle or a Jeep to participate in advance on the 4 Heroes Charity website. The club with the largest attendance will receive $500, while the Jeep club with the largest attendance will receive $1,000. All proceeds will benefit local police departments.

Rain date will be Saturday, June 7.

“The biggest tragedy is that this officer was killed in the line of duty,” Whinna noted. “The second is that we forget his memory. The idea of the ride is to continue the ideals Bobby had and to keep his memory alive.”