Obsessions & Secrets

It's so hard to write this and refer to the past tense, but we must keep his memory alive! Also, If one person is reading this and thinks their life is so bad, that they have no choice but to end it. I plead with you to think again! Read these words from a mentoring officer, who feels like he has lost a brother & a son. Watch the video, and look at the always smiling face with the countless friends that love him and would have done anything to help him through his troubles. There is always help! If there is a problem~ I promise there is a solution! Let's remember the Unforgettable, One of a kind, Kind hearted~ Justin Michael Brown!

Here is Justin's eulogy in it's entirety:

Good Afternoon….. I won’t be quoting lines from poetry or music today I am here to talk about Justin. I wasn’t Justin’s best friend…I didn’t hang with him outside of work on a regular basis….Justin didn’t give me a cool nickname like “Billy Bottles… I simply had the pleasure of watching Justin grow up in Ventnor and I worked with him in the police dept. which by police standards made us brothers. When Justin moved to Ventnor it didn’t take long for him to make a name for himself. He wasn’t the average football/baseball type of boy, he was, how should I put it? Different!

He was one of those skateboarders…you know them…the ones who would jump off your porch …grind your railings and of course wax your curbs. His style of dress was as unique as his ever changing hairstyles and colors. What was blonde one week would turn to green, red or even black with a Mohawk in a matter of days. No one was ever shocked to see Justin in some sort of cast for breaking a wrist or a collarbone. He did things his way and didn’t care what anyone thought of his fashion sense. I may be off by a year or 2, but I remember Justin returned from a trip to Florida, I think he was 13 maybe 14 and he was showing off a tattoo he had gotten…..a real tattoo… I got my first tattoo when I was 35 and here was this skinny little 14 year older smiling from ear to ear over his first tattoo…That was Justin Brown! Justin loved body art so much that he helped establish Ventnor’s first unofficial tattoo parlor which set up shop in Janee’s backyard on Princeton Ave. Some of you out there were customers. Behind every good man is a better woman….In Justin’s case that was his mother Janee, who is as caring and unique as the son she had raised. When most parents would be calling a psychiatrist for looking like Justin did, Janee supported and even encouraged Justin to express himself, this support never faltered through Justin’s entire life. Justin knew he was a momma’s boy he made no qualms about it, the one constant in his life was Janee (me ma as Justin referred to her as), Jenee always had his back and Justin always had hers. Their relationship was one of mutual love, admiration and respect. Besides that he loved her food, especially her bourbon chicken.

4 years ago when Justin became a Ventnor Police Officer he still had a lot of that Déjà vu club mentality in him. Bee Bop Brown, White Chocolate were just a few of his nicknames he acquired from his brothers and sister in the department. Most cops go on duty wearing a G-shock watch and maybe a wedding band. Not Justin…he would walk into roll call, his sleeves rolled up, wearing a “Micheal Kors” white designer watch that’s size would challenge Flava Flav’s along with silver rings, bracelets, a neck chain and a black “Valcom” T-shirt under his vest, not dept issue. Justin would bop into roll call with his slicked back, stiff as a board, mannequin hair, a pack of cigarettes and a Monster energy drink in his hand.

Justin was was never at a loss for words and frequently would incorporate what I call “Justinisms” into his everyday conversations….. “Yo, why you throwin hate at me?” or “I hate your face” …“Cracka” and who could forget “Cold Blooded”, just to name a few! His use of the vernacular actually had some of our clientele wondering if he was one of us or one of them. We had a real winner on our hands with this one, and he turned out to be one of the kindest, most compassionate officers I have ever worked with and I know that anyone who spent any time with Justin felt as I did.

The kids in Ventnor loved Justin, he grew up in Ventnor, was schooled in Ventnor, they related to him, he spoke their language, he listened to their music, he was from their generation and he was a skateboarder. I can’t tell you how many kids Justin helped, just by listening and giving them a minute of his time. I remember one time Justin was dispatched to kick skaters off the community building steps….When I pulled up he was doing ollie’s with one of the kids boards in his uniform..….you laugh, but you all can see him doing that in your head.

I wish I could offer you more today…An explanation…some comforting words, but I can’t. Maybe the answer lies in a question. A question we’re rarely asked anymore with sincerity. The question is “how ya doin?” 9 out of 10 times the answer will be “I’m ok”. But maybe if the timing is right you may get a different response… and that brief exchange may make all the difference in the world. Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you. God bless us all and Rest in Peace Justin, you will be missed and never forgotten.

Lt. Doug Biagi 7/26/10