Tuesday, July 9, 2013
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Officers Peter Leclerc and Robert Santagata of the Cranston, Rhode Island Police Department participated in the 2013 Police Unity Bike Tour, a bike ride that began in 1997 in the hope of bringing public awareness to Law Enforcement Officers who have died in the line of duty and to honor their sacrifice. Today they visited the Providence Police department and presented Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr. and Providence Police Officer Richard Ramirez with a plaque representing the ride and patches from the departments in Rhode Island that participated in this national event. The plaque will be placed on the wall in the Providence Public Safety Complex as a reminder of their hard work and preparation for this four day ride. The Police Unity Bike Tour was completed during National Police Week in May. The ride began in New Jersey and ended at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. Since 1997 the Police Unity Bike Tour has raised nearly 12 Million Dollars for the upkeep and maintenance of the NLEO Memorial and the construction of their new museum slated to open in 2015. This year, Officers Leclerc and Santagata dedicated their ride to fallen Providence Police Sergeant Maxwell Dorley, who was killed in the line of duty on April 19, 2012. The motto of the Police Unity Bike Tour is, "We ride for those who died." Officer Ramirez is a member of the Providence Police Honor Guard, whose members were also part of National Police Week ceremony's in Washington, DC.