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March 1999 (?)
Officer William Young - Town of Goshen PD
Officer Andrew Scolza - Town of Goshen PD
Investigator Don Kinne - NYSP
Officer Yvonne Gisselbrecht - Town of Chester PD
Officer Daniel Doellinger - Town of Chester PD

On January 24, Town of Chester Officer Yvonne Gisselbrecht came upon a woman in labor, who was en route to the hospital with her husband at about 11:15 pm when the baby started to arrive.  With some assistance from Officer Daniel Doellinger, Village of Chester Officer Jim Thornton, and Town of Goshen Officer Andrew Scolza, Gisselbrecht helped deliver the baby before the ambulance got to the scene.

In addition to delivering a baby, Officer Doellinger also played a key role in the arrest of Kenneth Lashway, the vice principal and dean of students at Millbrook High School in Sullivan County who was arrested for having sexual relations with a 15 year old Chester student.  According to Chester Police Chief Brian Jarvis, Doellinger observed a suspicious vehicle on Feb 5, and when he approached the car, he witnessed a young girl performing a sexual act with Lashway.  The two had allegedly met over the internet.  As a result of the arrest, police in Sullivan County were able to seach Lashway's home computer, in which they discovered numerous child pornography materials.

 Also awarded was New York State Police Investigator Don Kinne of Troop F in Middletown, who recently won third place in the Toughest Cop Alive competition, held in Saudi Arabia.  Kinne competed with cops from more than 40 countries, taking part in eight different athletic events in four hours.

February 1999
Officer Tom McGroder - Amsterdam PD
Officer John Mancini - Amsterdam PD
Patrolman Joseph Hyde (posthumous award) - Amsterdam PD

The Lodge honored two brave officers from Amsterdam PD, just outside of Albany.  Tom McGroder, a member of this Lodge and former member of the Town of Walkill PD and his partner John Mancini ran into a burning building and rescued an elderly lady.  We also offered long overdue honors to a fallen officer, Ptl Joseph Hyde.  Ptl Hyde was injured in a shooting in 1891, while chasing a burglary suspect, though wounded in the elbow, he succumbed to his wounds but was not given LOD status until recently.  In May, at the FOP Memorial Wall in Hicksville, I was asked to accept the award for Ptl Hyde, as his name was just added to the Wall.  We felt it our privelege to honor this officer ourselves also.  Congressman Gilman had a flag flown on the 107 anniversary of Ptl Hyde's death and presented Ptl Hyde's memory with a certificate.  Senator Bill Larkin presented a proclamation in Ptl Hyde's memory.  The Lodge presented Chief Brownell, Amsterdam PD a large plaque in memory of Ptl Hyde's

January 1999
Jay Friccione
Jason Debski

The Awardees for January were two civilians, Jay Friccione and Jason Debski, who came to the assistance of a State Trooper who had pulled over a motorist for a routine traffic stop.  During the stop the motorist engaged the Trooper in a struggle and was pulling the Trooper's gun from the holster.  Jay and Jason along with a third civilian came to the Trooper's assistance and preventing a "crack crazed" motorist from utilizing the Trooper's gun.  For this, these two brave men were named the FOP Heroes of the Month.

December 1998
No awardees

November 1998
Sgt. Rusty O'Dell - Town of Cornwall PD

October 1998
Corporal Sal Macri - Tuxedo PD

September 1998
Officer Carl DeMarco - City of Newburgh PD
Officer Vincent DeSalto - City of Newburgh PD

Officer DeMarco and Officer DeSalto were honored for their bravery during a confrontation with a man wielding a loaded gun.  The perprtrator reportedly held his gun up to Officer DeMarco's head during a routine vehicle and traffic stop, but Officer DeSalto was able to prevent the trigger from going off by placing his finger between the trigger and the assailant's finger.

Officer Madison was recognized for his involvement in 17 youth-related programs in New York City.

August 1998
No awardees

July 1998
Officer Robert Compasso - Village of Monroe PD
Detective Marc Miller - Village of Monroe PD
Officer Richard Campora - Town of Woodbury PD
Officer Warren Decker - Town of Woodbury PD

DARE PROGRAMS RECOGNIZED - The Monroe-Woodbury DARE program has received recognition at a meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police Jason Conklin Memorial Lodge in Monroe. The Lodge honored Village of Monroe Officer Robert Compasso and Detective Marc Miller, as well as Town of Woodbury officers Richard Campora and Warren Decker.  All four officers teach the DARE drug and alcohol resistance program to students in the Monroe-Woodbury School District. According to Compasso, more than 5,000 Monroe-Woodbury students in grades 6, 7, and 8 haev graduated from the DARE program in the past five years. Compasso explained that the program is not a scare-tactic program, but rather one that teaches children to resist peer and media pressure. In addition to receiving plaques from the FOP, the four officers also received citations from State Senator Bill Larkin, who was on hand to discuss a bill his is trying to pass that would require mandatory fingerprinting of all school employees. Larkin said the bill has been passed in the State Senate, btu it meeting resistance in the House due to beliefs that the bill will infringe on people's rights. Larkin pointed out that if fingerprinting is mandatory for all law enforcement officers, the same should apply to school employees. Following the award presentation, members of the Conklin family presented a $2400 Jason D. Conklin Memorial Scholarship Fund check to Town of Plattekill Officer Steven Annacone, who recently completed the Rockland County Police Academy. The scholarship was the third awarded this year in memory of Tuxedo Park Police Officer Jason Conklin, who was killed in the line ofduty last summer.

 

June 1998
Sgt. Dennis Churn - NYPD
Officer Henry Knoop - NYPD
Officer Robert Kammarada - Town of Wallkill PD

The Fraternal Order of Police, Jason Conklin Memorial Lodge #957, recently honored three local police officers, including New York City Police Sgt. Dennis Churn of Highland Mills, NYPD Sgt. Henry Knoop of Monroe, and Wallkill Officer Robert Kammarada. Churn and Knoop, both of the 50th police precinct in New York, receieved awards for their part in the investigation and arrest of a juvenile wanted for the attempted murder of a police officer who also worked in their precinct. Both sergeants were on the scene of an arrest when a 10 pound clay flowerpot was thrown from an apartment above, striking an officer on the shoulder and resulting in serious injury. Had the flowerpot struck the officer on the head, he would have been killed. Members of the lodge thanked both sergeants for the speedy arrest of this juvenile, who lodge President Neil O'Riordan said showed such "blatant disregard for human life and the law enforcement community." In 1993, police officer John Williamson was killed in a similar incident, when he was struck by a 10 pound bucket of spackle thrown from a roof in the Washington Heights section of Brooklyn. Kammarada received his award for saving the life of a newborn baby whom had stopped breathing. After receiving word from the dispatcher, Kammarada was on the scene within two minutes to assist by performing CPR on the infant and saving his life. "It is situations like this, the emotion one feels after helping another, that is why we become law enforcement officers," O'Riordan said. Kammarada and his wife Katy thanked the lodge for rewarding him and all the officers from Orange County who are deserving of such awards.

 

May 1998
Trooper William Collins - State Police, Troof F, Monroe Barracks
Officer Brian Kenny - Village of Chester PD

Monroe lodge honors officers for life-saving attempts

©The Photo News

The Fraternal Order of Police, Jason D. Conklin Memorial Lodge in Monroe, honored Village of Chester Police Officer Brian kenny and Trooper William Collins of the Troop F Monroe barracks, for their valiant attempts to save a woman's life this past February.  According to Chris Stewart, executive vice president of the lodge, Kenny was off-duty when he came upon a vehicle in a ditch on Rte. 17 in Goshen.  The vehicle was submerged in about three feet of water, but Kenny could see that there was a woman still trapped in the car.  At about the same time, Collins came upon the scene adn saw Kenny trying to get into the car.  Unable to open the doors, the two officers tried to push the car through the mud and water and get it on its side.  The officers were eventually able to get into the car, but tragically, the woman died.  Her husband and two children survived the accident.  "They did everything humanly possible to try to save this woman," Stewart said.  "These officers are role models in the community.  They make us proud to be law enforcement officers."

April 1998
Lt. Royal Remington - City of Newburgh PD
Officer Pedro Elias - City of Newburgh PD
Officer Robert Harris - City of Newburgh PD
Officer David Hasbrouck - City of Newburgh PD
Officer Darren Terry - City of Newburgh PD

FOP Honors Newburgh Officers

©The Photo News

MONROE - The Fraternal Order of Police, Jason Conklin Lodge of Monroe recently honored five City of Newburgh police officers for making a felony drug and weapons arrest in February.  Honorees included Officers Darren Terry, Robert Harris, David Hasbrouck, Pedro Elias, and Lt. Royal Remington.  Terry said he and patrolman Hasbrouck responded to an early morning domestic fight in a third floor apartment during the early morning hours of Feb. 3.  As they were quietly walking up the dark stairwell, they heard what sounded like a gun being chambered.  After convincing two subjects to come out of the house, they observed several drug related items, and obtained a search warrant.  According to Lt. Royal Remington, the officers and canine Quu uncovered $14,826 in currency, 22 pounds of marijuana, an SKS assault rifle, machine pistol, shotgun, and a 9mm handgun. "I give credit to all the officers," Remington said, noting they used "textbook" tactics to make the successful arrests.

March 1998
Chief Jack Burns - Village of Montgomery PD
Officer Joe Coamey - Village of Montgomery PD
Officer Felix Oresto - Village of Montgomery PD
Officer Charlene Joyce - Maybrook PD
Officer David Gowans - Maybrook PD

Pictured Above : PO Felix Oresto and PO Joe Coamey of the Village of Montgomery Police Department, and PO Charlene Joyce and PO David Gowans of the Maybrook Police Department.

Monroe cops rescue wife from husband

©Times Herald Record

MONROE - Police said a man held a knife against the throat of his estranged wife yesterday and threatened to kill her, before two Monroe police officers grabbed the knife and wrestled him to the floor. Police said Kola Bojoj, 40, cut the outside phone line to his wife's Crescent Place home about 10:20 a.m. and tried to pry open a kitchen window, as terrified family members tried to keep him outside.  Police said Bojaj got inside by forcing open a sliding glass door with a screwdriver.  A neighbor called police.  When Monroe police Officers Thomas Reinle and James Franklind arrived, they said they found Bojoj holding a 6-inch steak knife to his wife's throat.  The officers pointed their handguns at Bojaj and ordered him to drop the knife, but he refused,  Monroe police Chief Dominic Giudice said. "At one time, he indicated he wasn't going to (die) alone."  Giudice said the officers hit Bojaj with pepper spray, grabbed his arm, and took the knife away.  "He wouldn't let go of the knife," Giudice said.  The 37-year-old woman, who was not identified, escaped with minor cuts to her hand and forearm.  She was treated at Arden Hill Hospital in Goshen and released.  The woman had an order of protection against Bojaj, whose last known address was in Queens, but it hadn't been served, apparently because he could not be found, Giudice siad.  The woman told police he had been making threatening phone calls to her.  Giudice said the officers found a handcuff key taped to his chest and another handcuff key in his jacket pocket. They keys open any police handcuffs. "He knew that he was going to get arrested today," Giudice said.  Bojaj also ripped a railing off the wall and threatened the woman, her 19-year-old son, her sister-in-law, and her sister-in-law's 2 1/2 year old son with it, Giudice said.  He was charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, first-degree unlawful imprisonment and first-degree reckless endangerment, felonies; and two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of burglar's tools, misdemeanors.  Bojaj was being held for arraignment last night.  He was expected to be held without bail.  Giudice said the neighbor "should be commended for getting involved.  We got there quickly because she got involved, and we were able to avoid any more serious injury to the wife.

February 1998
Officer Dennis Gomas - Greenwood Lake PD
Det. John Hansen - Greenwood Lake PD

Officers honored for drug bust

©Times Herald Record

GREENWOOD LAKE - Two police officers were honored in front of nearly 100 people Feb. 4 for their part in uncovering a drug ring.  Officer Dennis Gomas and Detective John Hansen  of the Village of Greenwood Lake Police Department were given plaques at a meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police Jason Conklin Memorial Lodge no. 957 at the Ancient Order of Hibernians Hall, Monroe.  The November bust was one of the largest in southern Orange County's history.  Cops confiscated $100,000 worth of cocaine and arrested several local people on charges of drug dealing.  More than 30 officers from three departments were involved in the sting. John Miller, New York City Police Department's former deputy commissioner for public information, was guest speaker at the lodge meeting.

Officer John Motz - Town of Chester PD
Officer John Courtenay - Town of Chester PD

In the line of duty

©Times Herald Record

CHESTER - Last year, New York City's finest created a program to boost relations between communities and their police officers.  They called it C.P.R. Courtesy. Professionalism. Respect.  But as one Montgomery man discovered, C.P.R. isn't confined to the five boroughs of the Big Apple.  Matthew Latimer, of Latimer Plumbing and Heating, praised Town of Chester's finest for their homegrown version of C.P.R. But the story of how that happened is really a case of R.C.P. - Returning Cash to a Plumber. Quick thinking by two Chester officers reunited Latimer with his lost money clip containing $1300 cash.  It was a Friday evening, a few hours after the 4 p.m. shift change at the station.  Sunset comes earlier these days, but that night, Sept. 12, the fading orange of the early fall sun was bright enough to stall the flash of headlights for at least another half hour, and Latimer was driving his truck down King's Highway in search of a pay phone.  The Town of Chester road is lined with a large industrial park and a string of farms, making hte pay phone outside the town police station the best bet for miles.  Enter Police Officer Johhny Motz.  While Latimer was talking on the phone, the 30-year-old officer was getting ready for patrol.  He saw Latimer on the phone, his work truck nearby and asked if everything was all right. When Latimer responded that all was well, Lotz was off with a "Good evening." A few minutes after leaving the station, Motz got a call over the radio from fellow officer Jack Courtenay.  Courtenay had discovered a wad of cash on top of the pay phone.  Then he remembered Motz talking to that guy on the phone.  "I think I was joking around with him," Courtenay said, as he recalled the radio call.  "John, did you leave $1300 on the phone?"  Motz remembered Latimer : But instead of waiting for him to come back and claim the lost cash, Motz decided to do a little detective work.  Moments later, Motz spotted Latimer's truck near Sugar Loaf, a few miles from the station.  "Do you know why I'm stopping you?" Motz asked a confused Latimer.  "No." "What did you forget?" Latimer felt for his money clip.  In a flash, his mind went to the telephone.  Motz smiled and told him the money was safe back at the station house. Once they checked the initials on the money clip against his license, Latimer's day looked a whole lot better.  Though he would remember the officers' help for days after, he forgot to get their names, so he wrote to Police Chief Dennis Nolan describing the evening's events.  "Please accept my heartiest congratulations on having such honest, professional and courteous officers in your department," Latimer wrote.  It sure is nice when the boss gets a glowing letter about your job performance, but Motz isn't comfortable with talk of a reward.