Officers walked from Hackensack to Maywood and back to Hackensack University Medical Center as part of a 40-mile suicide prevention and mental health awareness event for military members and first responders.
HACKENSACK, NJ — Members of the Hackensack Police Department joined the 24-Hour Walk for Hope on Friday, taking part in a 40-mile effort focused on suicide prevention and mental health support for military members and first responders.
Hackensack officers walked from police headquarters to the Maywood Police Department before returning to Hackensack University Medical Center.
The larger 24-hour event began at East Jersey State Prison and ended at Redds in Carlstadt.
Walk Raises Money and Awareness
The Walk for Hope was organized to raise awareness and funding for mental health and suicide prevention initiatives serving military personnel, police officers, firefighters and other first responders.
For Hackensack police, one portion of the walk carried particular meaning.
Officers made the trip to Maywood PD while remembering Sgt. Jason Liaban and standing with members of the department there.
“It was especially meaningful for our department to walk to Maywood PD, standing alongside those who serve and remembering Sgt. Jason Liaban,” Hackensack police said.
First Responders Walk Together
The event brought together agencies and participants from across North Jersey for a continuous 24-hour, 40-mile route.
Police departments have increasingly participated in peer-support and mental health programs aimed at addressing the pressures faced by first responders, including repeated exposure to traumatic incidents, long shifts and cumulative stress.
Friday’s walk combined that message with a visible show of support between neighboring departments.
