YORK COUNTY — Deputies from the York-Poquson Sheriff’s Office recently joined up with other law enforcement officers to bike as part of the 2025 Police Unity Tour.
The tour, which began in 1997 in New Jersey, brings together law enforcement officers who ride bikes in memory of those killed in the line of duty. The organization started with 18 riders and has grown to include national and international membership.
York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office Lieutenants Damon Radcliffe and Jeff Charville help coordinate the efforts of chapter 8, a Florida-based chapter, on the tour. The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office belongs to chapter eight. Matt Singleton, a York-Poquson Sheriff’s Office K-9 handler, rides in memory of his father who was killed in the line of duty.
“With our membership in chapter 8, we get to ride through our actual jurisdiction,” Charville explained.
Chapter 8 passed through York County on May 10 while en route to D.C. People gathered along the route with signs wishing them luck on their journey.
Both Charville and Radcliffe were influenced to join the tour after losing close friends in the line of duty.
The group ends its ride in Washington D.C., where it takes part in the annual memorial ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial to commemorate the beginning of National Police Week.
“We ride because they died — to put it simply,” Radcliffe said. “All the chapters do individual 250-mile rides and we all merge together as a group to ride to the memorial at the start of National Police Week,” Charville added.
Charville provides support for the tour by riding a police motorcycle, while Radcliffe oversees the operational efforts along the way. Throughout the ride, there are also memorial stops at various departments along the way where officers are remembered for their sacrifice.
During the ride, each officer wears a bracelet with the name of a fallen law enforcement officer.
“I still wear my friend’s bracelet each year. I take him back to the memorial each year and his mom is just so grateful that her son’s name and story has not been forgotten,” Charville said.
The memorial is also home to a wall where names of officers killed in the line of duty are etched each year.
“The wall is a very sacred place. It chokes me up with tears almost every time I walk into it. It truly has a different feeling about it,” Charville said. “We sometimes have ties to a lot of the officers around here so it is certainly hard to see their names at the wall,” Radcliffe added.
Donations towards the overall goal of the museum and the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Fund can be made through nleomf.org.