Roll of Honor

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Detective

Arthur W. Materka

Union City Police Department — Union City, NJ

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch January 21, 1938

Age 41

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

The Vigil Panel 74 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Detective Arthur Materka was shot and killed while investigating a series of robberies that had occurred in Hudson County and Bergen County.

After receiving information that the grocery store at 4100 Hudson Boulevard might be robbed, he took a hidden position in the rear. A short time later, a man entered and attempted to rob the store. The subject forced the store's owner to the rear of the building.

Based on a pre-arranged plan with Detective Materka, the owner dove into a side room as Detective Materka confronted the robber. The suspect shot at him twice with a .45 caliber handgun. Despite returning fire with his shotgun, Detective Materka was struck once in the head and killed.

Many suspects were brought in for questioning, but none were ever charged. One man claimed he killed Detective Materka, but he was never tried for the murder.

Detective Materka was a United States WWI veteran and served with the Union City Police Department for at least 15 years. He was survived by his wife and five sisters. His brother-in-law was an officer with the Union City Police Department who spent his whole career trying to solve his murder.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and five sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NJ-4DB11FFA
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Detective Materka gave the Union City Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Union City community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Union City Police Department

Location Union City, NJ

Platform Identity upd.hudson.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 21, 1938

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

Age 41

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .45 caliber

Offender Never apprehended

Military Service

Arthur W. Materka served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Detective Arthur W. Materka is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In NJ, 264 of 646 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40.9% of this state's fallen. That is 13.3 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Union City Police Department, 4 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Union City Police Department

of 6 officers

66.7% Felonious

NJ — Statewide

264

of 646 officers

40.9% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious