Community members crowded around the life-size bronze statue of Officer Mary Ann Collura Tuesday afternoon to remember the beloved officer on the ninth anniversary of her tragic death in the line of duty.

Fair Lawn Police Detective David Boone, the newly installed chaplain at Van Riper Ellis Broadway Baptist Church led the annual memorial ceremony, which was attended by dozens of community members, including council members, borough employees and past and present law enforcement officers.

"It's important for us to remember, and to never forget and to always hold those that are dear to us in our hearts," Boone said. "To remember [Mary Ann's] dedication, to remember her devotion to duty, to remember her fearlessness, to remember her love and care, to remember her smile and compassion, to remember her justice and mercy and to remember, especially, her willingness to sacrifice, and to remember her ultimate sacrifice."

Collura, an 18-year Fair Lawn Police Department veteran and its first female officer, was killed in the line of duty on April 17, 2003 following a vehicle pursuit that started in Clifton and ended on the lawn of the Van Riper Ellis Broadway Baptist Church on River Road.