Goal: Zero -Thank you Holmdel Police Officer Matthew Menosky

HOLMDEL, NJ: In February, TAPinto reported on Goal: Zero, a traffic safety initiative designed by Holmdel Police Officer Matthew Menosky. The second Goal:Zero high visibility, County wide enforcement detail took place Wednesday, March 27, from 3pm to 7pm, on Highway 35. The goal is to save lives, to bring automobile deaths to zero.

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The enforcement included 14 agencies: Aberdeen, Keyport, Hazlet, Holmdel, Middletown, Red Bank, Shrewsbury, Eatontown, Ocean, Neptune, Neptune City, Belmar, Wall, and Brielle. This detail covered all of Highway 35 in Monmouth County and covers about 30 miles total.

The intent of this high visibility campaign is to confront the staggering rise in traffic deaths NJ has seen. Traffic Safety culture and driving behaviors need to change in order to keep people alive on NJ roadways. Law Enforcement agencies in Monmouth County are dedicated to lowering these numbers and keeping our roadways safe.

As of today, NJ is up to 138 deaths in 2024. That’s a 27.8% increase over the same time frame last year. 14 of these deaths have occurred in Monmouth County. This increase shows the need for not only this detail, but future details as well.

On the first Goal: Zero initiative on 2/21/2024, on Highway 34, 221 vehicles were stopped, and 125 summonses were issued by 26 participating Officers that covered approximately 25 miles of Highway 34 in Monmouth County. These summonses included 24 speeding violations, 18 cell phone violations, and 9 careless driving summonses. The 7 towns that participated included Wall Twp., Howell Twp., Colts Neck Twp., Holmdel Twp., Marlboro Twp., Aberdeen Twp., and Matawan Borough.

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What is the symbolism in the logo for Goal: Zero?

When Patrolman Menosky designed the logo for Goal:Zero, he knew it had to have meaning specific to the message. The color of the logo represents high visibility and is the color for pedestrian and school safety. The black bar is a mourning band for all lives lost in traffic crashes.

Menosky shared his personal motivation behind the Goal:Zero project, in an interview with the Asbury Park Press, Menosky shared that although he never knew John “Jack” Misdom Jr., killed at the age of 16 by a drunk driver while he was walking along Route 36 in Middletown in February 1992, Menosky witnessed the painful grieving that Alex Misdom, Jack's younger brother and Menosky’s friend, suffers.

Witnessing his friend Alex's grieving and hearing about the torture the entire family suffered after Jack's passing, inspired Menosky's mission of Goal:Zero. No doubt, the great efforts with Goal:Zero will save lives. Jack Misdom whose life was taken way too early at only age 16, in 1992 is now helping to save lives by inspiring Menosky's efforts. It will never be known who or when, but some family will be spared the absolute horrific nightmare of a life being taken. Thank you to Holmdel Police Department and all participating towns.

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