When Steve Edwards graduated from the Allegheny County Police Academy in 2020, he had to buy his own gun and a bulletproof vest, among other accessories.
“You don’t want to buy the cheapest vest,” Edwards said.
Other unexpected expenses for Edwards included a tourniquet, chest seals and other medical supplies to aid gunshot victims when he previously worked as a police officer in Duquesne.
The Officer Brian Shaw Memorial Scholarship helped Edwards by paying for his $5,000 academy tuition and $1,000 in additional expenses. The scholarship is awarded to two Allegheny County Police Academy cadets annually after they complete their six-month training.
Edwards now is a full-time police officer in Frazer.
“The scholarship gave me a great head start,” he said.
On Saturday, the ShawRide V motorcycle ride will help to continue those head starts by raising money for the scholarship fund, and it’s doing it in a big way. More than 1,000 riders are expected, making it one of the largest such rides in the state.
Shaw, a Lower Burrell resident and New Kensington police officer, was fatally shot following a traffic stop in 2017. He was 25. The scholarship fund will have raised about $250,000, including this year and the four previous rides, said Eric Felack of Lower Burrell, spokesman for the fund.
While some of the money pays for the scholarships, the rest is dedicated to an endowment guaranteeing the scholarships into the future, Felack said.
The ride is the main fundraiser for the scholarships and endowment.
Police cadet scholarships are a worthy and important cause, said Shaw’s father, Stephan Shaw of Lower Burrell.
“Not all of the cadets have someone paying their way or are receiving any kind of financial assistance,” Shaw said. “So they’re basically putting themselves through the academy, and these are the cadets we hope to find.”
‘What I am doing is worth it’
The scholarship fund has awarded seven scholarships so far to the Allegheny County Police Academy, from which Shaw and his brother, Steffan, graduated.
Academy cadets aren’t eligible for traditional student loans or student aid, according to Robert Cifrulak, deputy director of the academy.
The scholarship money is a great help, said Andrew Falconer, 26, of Cranberry. He was the first Shaw scholarship winner.
But the association with the scholarship fund and the people connected to is worth more than the monetary value of the scholarship.
“Looking back three or so years, it’s still incredible,” said Falconer, an officer with the Northern Regional Police Department.
Winning the scholarship and talking with Shaw committee members provided other support.
“It helped me to know I made the right career choice,” he said. “It solidified that, for me, what I am doing is worth it.”
The ride attracted more than 800 riders last year, with hundreds more attending the post-ride celebration at the Pittsburgh Shrine Center in Harmar. Attendance at the event continues to grow.
“The popularity of the ride keeps the memory of Brian Shaw’s sacrifice alive,” Felack said. “He served his community, but he gave his life for his community. That heroic sacrifice will always be remembered and respected.”
A large number of police and emergency responders come out for the event as well as riders from all walks of life, including doctors, educators, machinists and farmers, Felack said.
Stephan Shaw credited the ride’s success to the “unwavering commitment” of the more than 60 volunteers and, “of course, a community that truly hasn’t forgotten the reason for this ride.”
“I’m so very proud of every aspect of this ride from top to bottom,” he said. “However, police, fire departments and EMTs are the biggest part in our success, because safety is our No. 1 concern.”
The approximately two-hour, 65-mile ride runs through communities across the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond, including Harmar, Harrison, Freeport, Ford City, Bethel, Parks, Vandergrift, Allegheny Township, Lower Burrell, New Kensington, East Deer and Frazer.
The post-ride celebration will feature a meal from Santucci Catering, live music by East Coast Turnaround and more than 100 raffle gift baskets from local businesses.
“It’s really amazing to see how, five years later, the community comes out to support this ride despite the anti-police stories in the media,” said Leslie Uncapher Zellers, secretary of the scholarship fund. “We support the police with a scholarship in Brian’s name that perpetuates his values and qualities such as integrity, honesty and community service.
“These are qualities our future police need in today’s environment, and the scholarship helps gets them started in their careers and serve the community, just like Brian did.”
Full circle
With Edwards working for Frazer police, the memory and spirit of Brian Shaw have come full circle.
Shaw landed his first job as a police officer in Frazer after graduating from the Allegheny County Police Academy in 2015.
“I was fortunate to have Brian start here,” said Frazer police Chief Terry Kuhns.
Nestled among the surveillance television monitors on the walls of the police department are Shaw artifacts — a photo of him in his Frazer police uniform, a plaque to Kuhns from the Shaw family and a photo collage.
“I admired his interest in community service,” Kuhns said. “Brian was interested in every aspect of law enforcement.”
Although Edwards, a Burrell Class of 2014 graduate and a wrestler, didn’t know Shaw personally, he knew Shaw’s story and the reason for the scholarship.
“It hits close to home,” Edwards said. “I’d see him at the gym, and then you didn’t see him.”
Edwards said he knew Shaw’s values — the values that each applicant writes an essay about and should possess and aspire to as an officer to win the Shaw scholarship: humility, integrity, dedication and compassion.
“That essay stayed on my computer,” Edwards said. “It’s a good reminder of why we get into this profession and keeps us grounded.”
Many people think of police catching the bad guy, he said, but the job really is about serving the community.
“Why I do this job is about helping people,” he said.
Kuhns said he sees Edwards’ winning the scholarship as Edwards following in Shaw’s shoes.
“Steve has directed extensive search warrants and other important police work,” he said.
‘It’s so important to help’
Financial help like the Officer Brian Shaw Memorial Scholarship is needed for those at the Allegheny County Police Academy, one of only a half-dozen educational programs in the region to prepare prospective officers for certification.
“There are a lot of candidates making an abrupt career change,” Cifrulak said.
Some academy cadets come from diverse, non-law enforcement backgrounds, including school teachers and computer programmers, Cifrulak said.
“The cost, unfortunately, when you come here for six months, is a financial hardship when you walk away from your salary,” he said. “It’s not a program where you work the midnight shift and come here in the day.”
There’s lots of out-of-pocket expense — psychological exams as well as other tests gauging everything from reading comprehension to physical fitness, plus clearances on criminal history.
“We felt it’s so important to help graduating cadets who pay expenses for their work in the community as Brian did,” Uncapher Zellers said.
“The best candidate may be the one who can’t afford to put himself through the training,” Cifrulak said.
A program like the Shaw scholarship “may open the door for the cream of the crop because they have to meet the foundation’s scrutiny,” he said.
Related:
• Brian Shaw Memorial Scholarship Fund
• Hundreds of motorcyclists turn out for 4th annual Officer Brian Shaw benefit ride
• Brian Shaw scholarship winner named at Allegheny County Police Academy graduation
