FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 16-120

November 29, 2016

deppressoffice@dep.nyc.gov, (718) 595-6600

Department of Environmental Protection Promotes Veteran Member of Police Division

Ceremony also marks the retirement of Sgt. William Patrick, who served for 23 years

DEP Police Protect Lands, Reservoirs and Infrastructure that Provide Water to more than 9.4 Million New Yorkers

Photos of the Ceremony are Available on DEP’s Flickr Page

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) yesterday promoted one veteran environmental police officer during a ceremony at the Eastview Precinct in Valhalla, N.Y. The ceremony also marked the retirement of Sgt. William Patrick, a 23-year veteran of the DEP Police Division who was admired and respected by his colleagues, watershed residents, and elected leaders in communities around the water supply system. Over the last decade, DEP has nearly doubled the size of its Police Division to its current 198 sworn members.

“New Yorkers are fortunate to have a highly skilled, trained and dedicated police force to protect our water supply system and the lands that surround it,” said DEP Acting Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “I want to extend my sincere thanks to Sgt. William Patrick for his long and distinguished career with the DEP Police, and my congratulations to the veteran officer who earned his promotion today.”

The DEP Police Division was established more than 100 years ago. It is charged with protecting the city’s water supply system, which includes more than 2,000 square miles of watershed land across nine counties, hundreds of miles of tunnels and aqueducts, 14 wastewater treatment plants, laboratories, and chlorination facilities. DEP police patrol the watershed by foot, bicycle, all-terrain vehicle, motorcycle, boat and helicopter. They also maintain specially trained units that include a detective bureau, emergency service unit, canine unit and aviation unit.

The following environmental police officer was promoted to sergeant:

Sgt. Tommy Rodriguez was appointed to the DEP Police in July 2006 and began his career in the Patrol Division reporting out of the Eastview Precinct where he remains active. He is a general topics instructor and a firearms instructor for the department. Sgt. Rodriguez holds an Associate’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Bronx Community College. He previously served four years active duty in the United States Marine Corps.

DEP also celebrated the retirement of Sgt. William Patrick, who was appointed to the DEP Police in June 1993, and began his career on patrol in the former Croton Precinct.  He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in July 1999. Sgt. Patrick has been the midnight supervisor at the Eastview Precinct since it opened in 2007.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing more than one billion gallons of high quality water each day to more than 9 million New Yorkers. This includes more than 70 upstate communities and institutions in Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties who consume an average of 110 million total gallons of drinking water daily from New York City’s water supply system. This water comes from the Catskill, Delaware, and Croton watersheds that extend more than 125 miles from the City, and the system comprises 19 reservoirs, three controlled lakes, and numerous tunnels and aqueducts. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 scientists, engineers, surveyors, watershed maintainers and others professionals in the upstate watershed. In addition to its $70 million payroll and $157 million in annual taxes paid in upstate counties, DEP has invested more than $1.7 billion in watershed protection programs—including partnership organizations such as the Catskill Watershed Corporation and the Watershed Agricultural Council—that support sustainable farming practices, environmentally sensitive economic development, and local economic opportunity. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program with nearly $14 billion in investments planned over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.