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NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MAY 2014
COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT: SHIELD COMMITTEE
They maintain the honor in the shield
Did you know there’s a committee for the sole purpose of
issuing the official NJ State PBA shield?
For all that’s involved, this might seem to be more administrative work. So why is there a committee to facilitate getting
those coveted shields to members?
“We really protect the brand, for lack of a
better word,” says Pat Colligan, who chaired
the Shield Committee until approximately six
months ago. “Those shields mean a lot to us.
We don’t sell them. We don’t let civilians have
them. You’re not allowed to let your motherin-law use it. The car it is in is supposed to be
registered to a member.”
Manville Local 236 State Delegate John
Granaham has taken over as Shield Committee chair and has maintained the all-business approach to the
committee work. One Friday each month, the team hunkers
down in a conference room to process each application.
The committee members take their work very seriously and
for good reasons.
“We keep them as an emblem of something special because
it says that you’re proud to be a PBA member,” added Colligan
who bequeathed the committee chair after become the PBA’s
Pension and Benefits Coordinator. “When somebody sees that
shield, it says that there is a good guy coming to help. You know,
some people don’t want them at all; the H