A Sacrosanct Journey from
Remembrance to Encounter—Honoring Those Who Gave Their Lives and Those Who
Continue to Protect Us
STATEMENT OF RECORD
This Statement of Record documents
the professional and personal journey of Vincent J. Bove on September 11, 2026,
the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. What began
with a journey from New Jersey into Manhattan became a sacred day of prayer,
remembrance, encounter, and gratitude, unfolding through personal encounters
with firefighters, families of September 11 victims, police officers,
detectives, members of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit, and members of the
community.
The journey began at St. Francis
of Assisi Church, where prayer and remembrance brought together the memory of
the fallen, their families, and the firefighters who continue to carry the
responsibility of protecting others. From there, it continued on foot through
Midtown, where encounters with firefighters brought remembrance into direct
human contact. At Engine 54 / Ladder 4 / Battalion 9, the journey also provided
an opportunity to bring the newly published Law Officer article, “Twenty-Five
Years Later: The Greatest Tribute to 9/11 Is How We Care for Today’s
Protectors,” directly to firefighters whose service it honored.
The journey then continued to the
Bronx and the NYPD 50th Precinct, where formal and informal encounters included
a leadership engagement at roll call, conversations with the Detective Squad
and rank-and-file officers, and an extended listening encounter with members of
the Emergency Service Unit. That encounter gave rise to the phrase “Protectors
of the Protectors.” The day also brought an unexpected expression of community
gratitude through representatives of the Riverdale Jewish Center, who honored the
officers and pledged their prayers for those who protect them.
The journey eventually turned
homeward, but the physical journey was inseparable from a continuing spiritual
one: remembering those who were lost, honoring those who lost loved ones,
listening to those who continue to serve, and carrying each encounter into
prayer. The day's experience extended that prayer beyond New York to protectors
throughout the nation.
September 11 was therefore not
simply remembered as an event of the past. It was encountered through
people—through prayer, service, sacrifice, gratitude, and human connection.
Twenty-five years later, the journey into the heart of September 11 revealed an
enduring responsibility:
Protecting Those Who Protect Us.
I. THE JOURNEY BEGINS: WHERE
REMEMBRANCE BECOMES PRAYER
St. Francis of Assisi Church —
Manhattan
The journey into the heart of
September 11 began in prayer. Traveling from New Jersey into Manhattan, I made
my way to St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31st Street—a place with a
profound connection to September 11 and to the FDNY.
For decades, St. Francis of Assisi
has been a spiritual home for me whenever I enter Manhattan—a place where I
begin my day, find spiritual strength, and renew the energy I carry into my
work and encounters throughout the city.
On the 25th anniversary, St.
Francis hosted “Saint Francis Church Remembers September 11, 2001,” a Mass for
the local FDNY Battalion. The church was filled beyond capacity, with well over
100 firefighters and guests gathered in prayer. The sight of firefighters
filling the church and later emerging into the streets became one of the
defining images of the day.
The significance of St. Francis
was inseparable from the memory of Father Mychal Judge, OFM, the Franciscan
friar and FDNY chaplain who lived at the church and went to the World Trade
Center on September 11, 2001. The homily brought his life, ministry, courage,
and sacrifice into the day's remembrance.
For me, the Mass was more than an
anniversary commemoration. It was a sacred beginning—a time to pray for those
who were lost, for the families who continue to carry their absence, and for
the firefighters, police officers, and other protectors who continue to place
themselves in harm's way.
As the Mass ended and the
firefighters poured into the street, the journey continued.
The remembrance had become an
encounter.
II. THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: FROM
REMEMBRANCE TO ENCOUNTER
FDNY Engine 1 / Ladder 24 —
“Midtown Express” | Manhattan
Leaving St. Francis of Assisi
Church, I continued on foot to FDNY Engine 1 / Ladder 24, the first firehouse
encountered following the Mass.
This was not a first introduction,
but a continuing relationship. Earlier engagements on June 19 and
August 28,
2026, had established a personal connection with the firefighters of the
“Midtown Express.” Returning on September 11, immediately following the Mass,
gave the encounter a deeper significance. The morning's prayer and remembrance
now moved into direct fellowship with those who continue to serve.
I spent time with the
firefighters, expressed my appreciation for their service and sacrifice, and
continued the spirit of remembrance that had begun at St. Francis. During the
earlier engagements, I had also presented Liberation Monument tribute cards to
members of the firehouse.
The encounter affirmed a simple
truth: remembrance is not confined to ceremony. It becomes meaningful when it
reaches the people who continue to serve.
The journey continued.
III. THE JOURNEY DEEPENS: WHERE
MEMORY MEETS THE LIVING
FDNY Engine 54 / Ladder 4 /
Battalion 9 — “The Pride of Midtown” | Manhattan
From Engine 1 / Ladder 24, I
continued north to Engine 54 / Ladder 4 / Battalion 9, the “Pride of Midtown,”
at West 48th Street and Eighth Avenue.
This was another continuing
relationship, following an earlier engagement on June 19, 2026. But September
11 brought a distinctly different dimension. The firehouse was hosting a
special gathering that brought together firefighters, families, and families of
those lost on September 11—including families of FDNY members and others whose
loved ones never came home.
I had also come with a particular
purpose: to bring the newly published Law Officer article, “Twenty-Five Years
Later: The Greatest Tribute to 9/11 Is How We Care for Today’s Protectors,”
directly to the firefighters whose service it honored. Published the previous
day as a Top Featured Article for the 25th anniversary, the article had become
part of the journey itself.
I spent time with the
firefighters, expressed my appreciation for their service and sacrifice, and
presented Liberation Monument cards as a personal expression of remembrance and
gratitude.
During the encounter, I met
Firefighter Dillon J. Herkert of Engine 54. He was genuinely enthusiastic about
meeting me and learning about the article. We exchanged contact information,
and Dillon told me that the firefighters pictured in the article were his best
friends. Although they were not on duty that day, he assured me that they would
receive copies.
That moment brought the published
story full circle.
The firefighters connected to the
article were no longer simply names or faces in a photograph. Through Dillon,
the story had returned to the people whose service it honored.
What had begun that morning in
prayer at St. Francis had now become a deeply personal encounter with the
living legacy of September 11.
The journey continued.
IV. THE JOURNEY NORTH: FROM
MANHATTAN BACK TO THE BRONX
A Journey Through Memory, Place,
and Purpose
From the “Pride of Midtown,” I
continued north through Manhattan toward the Bronx and the NYPD 50th Precinct.
The movement was more than a
change of location. It brought the day's journey into a part of New York deeply
connected to my own history. After traveling uptown by subway to 238th Street,
I continued on foot toward the precinct.
I had grown up in the Bronx, and
the communities surrounding the 50th Precinct—including Van Cortlandt Park and
Spuyten Duyvil—were familiar to me from childhood. Returning to this part of
the borough on the 25th anniversary of September 11 brought past and present
into an unexpected convergence: places remembered from youth now became the
setting for an opportunity to stand with the men and women who continue to
protect the city.
The transition carried a
particular significance. The morning had been spent remembering those who gave
their lives twenty-five years earlier. The journey was now bringing me into the
presence of today's protectors, preparing to serve their communities.
The journey continued—not away
from September 11, but deeper into its living meaning.
V. THE JOURNEY REACHES THE 50TH
PRECINCT: STANDING WITH TODAY’S PROTECTORS
NYPD 50th Precinct — Bronx
At the 50th Precinct, the day's
remembrance took on a new dimension through direct engagement with the men and
women of the NYPD.
The visit was coordinated by Sgt.
Richard Barcia, who introduced me to Captain Amadeo Oktrova (since then promoted to Deputy Inspector) and helped
facilitate the day's encounters. Deputy Inspector Oktrova graciously welcomed me,
introduced me to members of the command, attended the leadership engagement,
and extended an invitation to return.
The engagement unfolded across the
precinct rather than from a single platform. I encountered members of command
and supervision, veteran officers, younger members beginning their NYPD
careers, detectives, and specialized personnel. These encounters provided
opportunities for conversation, reflection, affirmation, and recognition of the
privilege and responsibility inherent in police service.
The formal roll call would become
the principal leadership engagement of the visit. Yet the experience at the
50th Precinct would extend well beyond the roll call, revealing the deeper
value of presence, listening, and human connection.
The journey continued—from formal
leadership engagement into the human encounters that followed.
VI. THE SACREDNESS OF THE
BADGE: THE 50TH PRECINCT ROLL CALL
Leadership
Engagement with the NYPD
The journey into the heart of
September 11 continued with a formal roll call at the NYPD 50th Precinct.
Veteran officers, supervisors, and younger officers beginning their NYPD
careers gathered together, creating an opportunity to reflect upon the meaning
of service twenty-five years after the attacks.
Before beginning, I moved the
podium aside and brought the American flag forward. Holding the flag as I
spoke, I began with a moment of solemn reverence for those who were lost on
September 11, 2001; for the families who continue to carry their loss; and for
the firefighters, police officers, and other protectors who answered the call
that day.
I then brought that remembrance
directly to the officers before me.
The badge represents far more than
authority. To wear it is to accept the profound privilege and extraordinary
responsibility of protecting others. It requires character—the character that
makes our badges shine—and the courage to carry that responsibility through the
most difficult moments of a police career.
The engagement centered on what I
describe as the Four Great Needs of the Protector:
Ethical Leadership.
Morale.
Emotional Fortitude.
Suicide Prevention.
These needs are inseparable from
the human reality of police service. I also addressed the Wounded
Protector™—the reality that those who protect others can themselves carry
wounds, burdens, and experiences that require recognition, compassion, and
support.
I emphasized the importance of
affirmation, respect, courtesy, and affirmative thinking, speaking, and
communicating. Every interaction with another person presents an opportunity to
strengthen rather than diminish. The privilege of being a protector is sustained
not only by what an officer does in moments of crisis, but by who that officer
chooses to be every day.
The message ultimately returned to
a simple question:
Why did you become a police
officer?
Twenty-five years after September
11, remembering the courage of those who answered the call required more than
looking backward. It required recognizing the men and women standing before me
who continue to answer that call.
The officers’ attentiveness and
the spirit of the encounter reinforced the central message of the day:
The greatest tribute to those we
lost is how we care for those who continue to protect us.
The journey continued.
VII. PROTECTORS OF THE
PROTECTORS: THE JOURNEY INTO LISTENING
NYPD Emergency Service Unit — 50th
Precinct
The journey continued beyond the
formal roll call and into one of the day’s most meaningful
encounters: time
spent with members of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit (ESU).
The ESU setting provided a unique
opportunity to facilitate listening. The setting allowed me to ask open-ended
questions and give the members the space to speak about why they valued their
work. Their response was inspirational.
I asked each member a simple
question:
“Why do you appreciate working for
Emergency Service Unit?”
Five ESU members shared their
reflections on the privilege of serving in one of the NYPD’s most demanding
specialized units. Their responses spoke to the distinctive responsibility of
protecting the public during extraordinary and dangerous incidents, while also
being prepared to protect their fellow officers when those officers themselves
need assistance.
What followed was not simply an
exchange about the responsibilities of a specialized assignment. It became an
opportunity to hear, in the members’ own words, what their service meant to
them.
Their reflections revealed
something profound:
Those who protect the public are
also called upon to protect one another.
That realization inspired the
phrase:
“PROTECTORS OF THE PROTECTORS.”
The phrase captured the
distinctive role of ESU—not simply responding to extraordinary threats and
emergencies, but standing ready when fellow officers themselves require
protection, rescue, or assistance.
The encounter was personal and
reciprocal. Each member received my personal cell number and a Liberation
Monument card. More importantly, the conversation created a space in which
professional roles could briefly give way to human conversation, reflection,
and mutual respect.
The distinction from the formal
roll call was significant.
The roll call had provided an
opportunity to speak to officers.
The ESU setting provided an
opportunity to listen to protectors speak about why they serve.
And in that listening, the journey
reached one of its deepest points.
The journey continued.
VIII. BEYOND THE BADGE: THE
DETECTIVE SQUAD AND THE HUMAN ENCOUNTER
NYPD 50th Precinct — Detective
Squad
The journey continued beyond the
roll call and the specialized-unit encounter through an informal engagement
with members of the 50th Precinct Detective Squad.
This was an opportunity for
conversation—to stand with detectives in their working environment, listen to
their perspectives, and acknowledge the responsibilities and demands that
accompany their work.
Our conversations reflected the
broader themes of the day: service, responsibility, community protection,
ethical leadership, morale, emotional fortitude, character, and the human
dimension of police work.
The encounter reinforced a
conviction that has shaped my work throughout the NYPD: leadership does not
always require a podium. Sometimes its most meaningful expression is simply
being present, listening, and giving another person the recognition and affirmation
they deserve.
The journey through the 50th
Precinct was therefore becoming more than a series of engagements. It was
becoming a succession of human encounters—each one offering another perspective
on the privilege and responsibility of protecting others.
From the formal roll call, to the
detectives, to the extraordinary listening encounter with ESU, the day
continued to move from speaking about protectors to standing among them.
The journey continued.
IX. WHEN THE COMMUNITY PRAYS
FOR ITS PROTECTORS
Riverdale Jewish Center — NYPD
50th Precinct
Amid the day’s many encounters at
the 50th Precinct, one carried a particularly meaningful expression of
community gratitude.
Representatives of the Riverdale
Jewish Center were present at the precinct to recognize and thank the officers
who serve and protect their community. They generously provided fruits,
nutrition bars, and beverages for the officers and spoke about the significance
of Rosh Hashanah and the Jewish New Year 5787, being observed that day.
They also made a promise that
reached beyond words: they would pray for the officers.
In an especially memorable moment,
they sounded a shofar, the traditional ram’s horn, allowing the officers to
experience and learn about an element of their prayer and observance.
I personally thanked the
representatives for their generosity and for remembering the officers in
prayer. In return, I presented them with Liberation Monument cards—a simple but
meaningful exchange between people who had come together that day in different
ways to honor service, remembrance, and the protection of human life.
Their message of gratitude was
captured on the card they presented to the officers:
“To all those who ‘serve &
protect’ and put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe on a daily basis. In
gratitude and in honor of the Jewish New year 5787.”
The card was signed by Rabbi Dovid
Zirkind, Senior Rabbi, and Rabbi Dr. Moshe Drelich, President, of the Riverdale
Jewish Center.
The encounter offered another
dimension to the journey. At St. Francis, the day had begun in prayer for the
fallen and for those who continue to protect us. At the 50th Precinct, members
of the community were now praying for the protectors themselves.
The circle had come around.
Remembering.
Serving.
Protecting.
Praying.
Giving thanks.
The journey continued.
X. THE JOURNEY HOME: CARRYING
THE DAY IN PRAYER
The journey eventually turned
homeward—from the Bronx back through Manhattan and onto New Jersey Transit. Yet
the day’s deepest journey was no longer measured by distance traveled.
It was measured by the people
encountered: the firefighters who gathered in prayer, the families who continue
to carry the loss of September 11, the police officers who continue to protect
their communities, the detectives and ESU members who shared their reflections,
and the members of the Riverdale Jewish Center who reminded those officers that
their community was praying for them.
As I made my way home, I reflected
upon each encounter and prayed for those I had met throughout the day—for the
firefighters, police officers, families, community members, and for all those
whose lives remain touched by September 11, 2001.
I prayed as well for the
protectors of New York and for the men and women throughout our nation who
continue to place themselves in harm’s way on behalf of others.
Twenty-five years after September
11, the day remained more than a date in history. Its meaning continued through
the people who remember, the families who endure, and the protectors who
continue to serve.
The journey began with prayer.
It continued through remembrance,
encounter, service, listening, gratitude, and human connection.
And it ended where every
meaningful journey should end—with gratitude for those encountered, reverence
for those lost, and a renewed commitment to those who remain.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES.
Protecting Those Who Protect Us.
About the Author
Vincent J. Bove is a nationally recognized authority on ethical leadership, violence prevention, and law enforcement resiliency.
A sought-after speaker and prolific author, his work has influenced agencies and institutions across the United States for more than 25 years.
Bove has authored more than 400 published articles and four books addressing critical issues in public safety, leadership, and moral courage.
His book Reawakening America© was named a finalist for ASIS International’s Book of the Year. Listen to Their Cries© was selected and sponsored for distribution to all attendees—students representing institutions from across the United States—at the National Conference on Ethics in America by the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic at the United States Military Academy, at the request of a coalition of West Point graduates involved in the conference.
He was appointed the first-ever Honorary Law Enforcement Motivational Speaker by the New York City Police Department, conducting leadership and resiliency initiatives across all five boroughs of New York City.
Bove is also the author of more than seventy articles published in Law Officer, a national publication serving law enforcement professionals across the United States. His work emphasizes ethical leadership, preventive strategies, officer resilience, and the preservation of public trust in modern policing—drawing on American history and enduring leadership traditions to reinforce the importance of character, accountability, and moral courage.
He is a trusted voice at Federal Bureau of Investigation venues, United States Military Academy, and numerous U.S. military facilities. A longtime author for the National Association of Chiefs of Police, he has written 18 cover stories and contributed to shaping national law enforcement dialogue through feature articles and reports.
“Vincent J. Bove is considered one of the foremost national experts on school and workplace violence prevention, specializing in facility protection, evacuations, terrorism prevention, and leadership training.” — U.S. Senate
PHOTO: Vincent J. Bove conducting an ethical leadership, morale, and resiliency initiative at the NYPD 75th Precinct, Brooklyn, August 13, 2026. (Photo by NYPD Officer Justin Constantino for RALLC)
SELECTED VINCENT J. BOVE
ARTICLES — LAW OFFICER
The following selected Law Officer
articles provide additional context for the themes reflected in this Statement
of Record: remembrance, ethical leadership, respect, emotional fortitude, and
the continuing responsibility to protect those who protect us.
“Twenty-Five Years Later: The Greatest Tribute to 9/11 Is How We Care for Today’s Protectors”
Vincent J. Bove’s Law Officer
article, published September 10, 2026, examines the continuing responsibility
to remember the fallen, honor their families, and care for the protectors who
carry that responsibility forward. Its central message — “Protecting Those Who
Protect Us”—became an integral part of the September 11, 2026 journey
documented in this Statement of Record.
“Respect Is the Badge: The Heart of the 21st-Century Ethical Officer”
Vincent J. Bove’s Law Officer
article, published May 12, 2026, examines respect as a defining standard of
ethical policing and connects character, leadership, public trust, and the
manner in which authority is carried in every human encounter.
“The Quiet Police Crisis: Emotional Fortitude and the Strength to Protect the Protector”
Vincent J. Bove’s Law Officer
article, published March 25, 2026, examines emotional fortitude as a dimension
of protecting the person behind the badge, emphasizing affirmation, ethical
leadership, morale, human development, and the formation of strength before
crisis occurs.
FULL VINCENT J. BOVE LAWOFFICER CHRONOLOGY
The complete Law Officer author
chronology provides the broader publication record of Vincent J. Bove,
currently spanning 75 published articles addressing ethical leadership,
policing, officer wellness, emotional fortitude, public trust, violence
prevention, and his continuing engagements with the NYPD.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
