How Officer Matlosz Saved My Life

matlosz funeral hearse picBy E.J. Let me start off by saying that I have actually never had the honor or privilege of meeting Chris Matlosz. Yet, I can say with complete confidence that he has likely saved my life on many occasions. Let me explain. My job entails driving around the Lakewood area all day, every day. I will not go into the particulars of my job, as this letter is about officer Matlosz, not me. Suffice it to say, I have seen many crazy things on and around the roads of Lakewood. There are dangerous drivers, as well as some unsavory individuals around town. Even so, every Lakewood cop has seen many more times what I have seen. While the police can not be everywhere always, they do know their job and they obviously take it very seriously. The police presence is definitely felt in Lakewood.

What most people do not realize is that the majority of the accomplishments of an officer’s work is not in what they do, but it is in what they do NOT have to do. Meaning, the very presence of an officer is a deterrent to crimes, small and large. Certainly when they actively enforce the law it is a direct blow to crime. When a motorist gets a ticket, other motorists driving by definitely see it. They tell their friends to watch out and slow down because there is a cop in that area. They will also think twice themselves before speeding. Additionally, the motorist who got the ticket will tell others about it (usually complaining), which in turn will be widely publicized by the day’s end. The end result is that one ticket will likely influence hundreds of drivers, making an impression on them that will serve as a lasting warning and reminder.

On a different level, when a drug dealer is busted, not only did officers put their lives on the line by cleaning such garbage from our streets, but their actions send ripples throughout the crime “community”. This acts as a major deterrent to others. Removing one dealer off the streets of Lakewood saves countless lives! Once the dealer is gone, there are fewer deaths from drugs, less vehicular accidents/deaths from the influence of the drugs, and probably one less gun on the street.

Every action which an officer takes has a widespread ripple effect. An officer’s job is twofold. Firstly, through direct action they CORRECT people’s dangerous actions. Secondly, as a result of their actions, there will be an even greater impact through crimes which were PREVENTED. Many of us see an officer pulling someone over and we think of it as “them against us”. As if it is just one big game. Next time you see an officer pulling someone over, think about what the direct and long term effects are. Before you shake your head, or complain about abuse of power, think about the fact that they are putting themselves at risk every time they pull someone over. Think about the fact that they are ultimately doing it for us. Think about the fact that they know the potential hazards they are potentially facing, and yet they don the uniform each day to serve and protect. Think about how their actions, both direct and indirect, improve our quality of life.

I am sure Officer the resume of officer Matlosz is quite impressive. He spent over 4 years enforcing the laws and rules which were set in place to correct and prevent loss of money and loss of life. By all accounts he was good at what he did and was quite an effective driving force. I can not even begin to imagine calculating the positive ripple effects based on all of his actions. I have no doubt that a very large percentage of area residents are alive and well as a result of his work. How can we even begin to calculate the amount of lives which were bettered or saved because of what officer Matlosz prevented from happening? I know that I truly credit Officer Chris Matlosz as saving my life. It is not possible to measure the tragedies prevented, but it is certainly possible to appreciate the concept. What happened to Chris Matlosz just serves to drive home the point of what and who he was protecting us from.

We are very unfortunate to lose such a gem in officer Matlosz. The world really lost someone special this week. However, it is clear that we have not lost the effects of his work and accomplishments. They will live on in all of us.

May he rest in peace.

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20 COMMENTS

  1. all I could say is that Chris Matloz must have a lot of zechsim(merits) to get a levaya(funeral) like that. I’m sure that the stories will pour forth like the peels of an onion . I mean he must have done some big thing that BMG andthe Roshei hayeshivas gave up their learning to attend

  2. as a wife of an officer I want to tell you that what you said was very moving and sweet. It’s nice to hear from someone who really “gets it”.. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. It brighten this day a bit for me

  3. Every time I see a cop, I want to say “thank you!”, though I am quite shy.

    Yesterday, as I was walking to my car from the funeral, I passed members of the Ocean County SWAT Team. I mustered the courage to say, simply, “Thank You!”

    They smiled, and answered “Thank You!”

    I hope I can muster the courage to personally thank every cop I meet and tell him “Thank You!”

    To every member of the Lakewood Police Department:

    Thank you very much for everything.

    As a side note, this tragedy has brought out the very best in our town. I haven’t felt such unity since the tragedy of 9/11 and the unity that the country showed in those days.

    I implore all Lakewooders, black, white, jew, nonjew, hispanic, modern, yeshivish, chasidish, litvish, sfardish, ashkenazish, men, women, and children — EVERY ONE OF US — let us keep this unity and amazing show of humanity forever. We will all be better off.

  4. To #6 – how sweet and true. Great post, and I feel the same way. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say or do. I also thought about 9/11 with this sad event and how we all felt at that time – unity. Not such a bad town afterall.

  5. I think a lot of the times we forgot about the great jobs police officers do each and everyday and how they protect us. We take it for granted.

    Thank you Lakewood Police for putting your life on the line everyday!

  6. Thank You for posting this. I met Chris 3 years ago when I opened My restaurant in Lakewood. He and several other Police Officers from Lakewood came out to support us. i agree a simple Thank You is something we all could say and should say. We should pass this on so it reaches the west coast. I ran in to Chris One more time a few months ago at Pathmark and like the first time I met him he offered a hand shake. Today I went to the cemetery to vist with Chris. Out of the woods came One of Chris’s Relatives with Chris’s Dogs Stosh and Apollo. I felt like it was no coincidence.It was an amazing feeling I had that I cannot describe. Thank You Officer Matlosz!!! 317=Thank You

  7. While it is heart warming to see so many appreciate the LPD ,lets hope we never have to experience this again. May this serve as a reminder how dangerous a job these officers are faced with all the time, I hope that we have reached a turning point here in Lakewood that gangs will no longer be tolerated . We should all be involved with what takes place in our neighborhoods and if anything looks suspicious all it takes is a phone call ,better safe than sorry
    What would be a true tragedy is if nothing changes despite the loss of this true hero ,I think everone would agree that should not let that happen as a promiss to this officer who gave his life
    God bless 317

  8. I must ask what is the problem with previous comment that it is still waiting moderation ,yet tehre are comments posted a day later that have been posted ???????????????????

  9. My family member is a cop in Lakewood and it pains me deeply when I read comments from people about being unfairly ticketed, cops sitting around in cars doing nothing and so on. I know what danger they face day in and day out and anyone can be a target for a nut. And now our worse fears have been realized, the ultimate sacrifice has been made. So people, the next time you are stopped for speeding, making illegal turns, running stop signs, talking on the phone, not having your kids buckled up, just remember that that man or woman is out there protecting and serving you and putting their lives on the line for you. G-d bless each and every one and may His angels surround and protect them all!

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