FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE04-26
May
21, 2004
Contact:
Charles G. Sturcken
(718) 595-6600
DEP
Graduates 43 New Environmental Protection Police Officers
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
will induct 43 officers from the third class of cadet graduates
of the Department’s Environmental Police Academy. The graduation
ceremony will take place on Friday, May 21 at 1:00 p.m. at the
Ulster County Community College, Cottekill Road, Stone Ridge, New
York. Today’s class brings the members in DEP’s environmental
police force, including those previously serving, to over 200.
Commissioner Ward said, “We rely heavily on our DEP police
force to protect our water supply that serves 9 million New Yorkers – nearly
one-half the population of our State. Our cadets have gone through
an intense and stringent training in environmental law enforcement
and protection, and I want to thank our Academy staff --Captain
Frank J. Milazzo and Assistant Police Chief Mark Benedetto – along
with our Academy instructors who include watershed county police,
New York State Forest Rangers, county sheriffs, DEP watershed staff
and attorneys, members of DEP’s environmental police force
and the Riverkeeper for their time and commitment. It gives me
great pleasure to welcome the new members to our force and wish
them well as future guardians of the safety of our water supply
system.”
In 2003, DEP Police were called upon over 250 times to assist
other police agencies in the City’s watershed. They responded
to over 300 traffic accidents and aided in 97 incidents where medical
assistance was necessary. This was in addition to investigating
nearly 700 environmental complaints, while performing their main
tasks of protecting the water supply relied upon by one-half of
New York State. Additionally, the DEP Police also supplement the
work of local police agencies in their day-to-day activities of
community service and public protection.
DEP’s Environmental Police Academy, launched in 2002, was
the first of its kind in the nation to provide training, experience
and concentrated course work in advanced police tactics and use
of state-of-the art equipment and environmental protection. Recruits
undergo twenty weeks of intensive training in environmental law
and police administration, which includes basic police training
in laws of arrest, use of force, justification, firearms, defensive
tactics, terrorism and police science. In addition, recruits must
complete courses in environmental conservation law training in
lands and forests, fish and wildlife, stream protection and fresh
water wetlands.
DEP Police Chief Ed Welch will attend the ceremony and Lt. Brian
Handy, Director of the DEP Environmental Police Academy, will preside.
Refreshments will be served. Reporters are welcome to attend.
The Environmental Police Officer graduates are:
Gregory Allen
Rigoberto Arenas
Shamieka Barreto
Ian W. Beecher
Christopher Beltran
Salvatore Cerniglia
Kevin Collins
William C. Detlefs
Dilma Diaz
Edward J. Edwards
James M. Feldbauer
Antonio J. Fernandez
Astacia R. Francis
Randall Hurlbert
Ivor Jordan
James D. Kochon
Jillien Lawrence
Robert S. Lundy
Kenneth Macumber Jr.
Michael P. Marron
John Mattice
Benjamin P. Monell
Marc Muniz
Gianfranco Nuccio
John P. O’Sullivan
Frank Patch
Shaun A. Pile
Joanna T. Pryer
Wilfredo Ramos
Lynn Reed
Hector N. Reyes
Lisa Robinson
Joaquin Romaguera
Jason Rossi
Frankie Serrano
Gary R. Short
Annette Suarez
Marsha Thomas
John Toscano
Steven Whittick
Chatoyer Woodland
Hasan Uz Zaman
Aubrey Zephyr