2012 Awards Synopsis
Recognition Plaque: Presented to the Asbury Park Street Crime Unit – For outstanding service in 2011, the Asbury Park Street Crime Unit was responsible for over 950 arrests; seizure of 90 guns, including 5 automatic assault weapons; seizure of over $45,000 in US currency; and seizure of over $110,000 in assets.
Commendation Award presented to Detective Scott Samis of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Detective Louis Zuppa of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, and Detective Daniel Kowsaluk of the Asbury Park Police Department – In 1997 a murder and torture was committed in Asbury Park and the body dumped in Neptune Township. The case went cold until 2005 when Detective Samis became aware of information and assumed control of the investigation. Detective Samis worked tirelessly over the next four years and with the assistance of Detectives Zuppa and Kowsaluk, the three were able to piece together the crime and bring to justice the seven perpetrators, six of whom pled out, while the seventh perpetrator was convicted of First Degree Murder.
Commendation Award presented to Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office Senior Investigators Jeffrey Equils and Selma Morris, and Monmouth County Correctional Institute Officers Michael Harper and James O’Conner – In February, 2011, an inmate, in the custody of the US Marshall’s Service who was incarcerated at MCCI, came forward with information implicating two other MCCI inmates with participating in a $100,000 murder for hire plot to eliminate a United States District Court Judge. An initial investigation revealed this was a credible threat. Agents of the FBI, coordinating with other agencies, and utilizing the skills of Senior Investigators Equils and Morris and Officers Harper and O’Conner over the next four months were able to identify the suspects and their affiliation as Blood Gang members. Due to the diligence and excellent intelligence gathering by these officers and investigators, the government was able to obtain indictments and consequently one subject pled guilty to Use of Interstate Commerce Facilities in the Commission of Murder for Hire and was sentenced to a 10 year sentence. The second subject went to trial and was found guilty of Conspiracy to Murder an Officer of the United States and he was sentenced to life imprisonment in December, 2011.
Commendation Award presented to Bart Barry of the Avon-By-The-Sea First Aid Squad and Volunteer Fire Department for over 45 years of dedicated service to his community. Since 1967 Mr. Barry has been an active member in both the Avon-By-The-Sea First Aid Squad and Volunteer Fire Department and continues to remain active at all emergencies as well as training and all other activities conducted by each organization. In 2011 the First Aid Squad received 416 requests for aid; Mr. Barry responded to 308 calls. During that same year Mr. Barry responded to 44 out of a total number of 149 calls for the Fire Department. In the first four months of 2012 Avon First Aid responded to 38 call and Bart Barry was on 24 of those calls. Mr. Barry’s conduct to his community exemplifies duty, honor and service and he is a role model for all.
Merit Award presented to Asbury Park Detectives April Bird, John Sosdian and Asbury Park Police Officer Keith Finkelstein – On July 25, 2011 at 11:30PM an actor, armed with a loaded shotgun, carjacked a victim on Bergh Street. The actor ordered the victim out of the vehicle at gunpoint, stole the victim’s possession and fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle. Asbury Park Detectives Bird and Sosdian and Officer Finkelstien were able to trap and trace the victim’s cell phone, which led them to an address in Belmar. Detectives made entry to the address and loacted the actor inside. Also located was the shotgun used by the actor, the victim’s property and victim’s car keys. Through further investigation , an accomplice was also charged with carjacking and the stolen vehicle was recovered. Detectives Bird, Sosdian and Officer Finkelsten worked this investigation fast and showed great bravery apprehending a desperate actor armed with a shotgun.
Merit Award presented to Asbury Park Police Lieutenant David DeSane and Asbury Park Police Officers Francis Sangi and Eddy Raisin – On the evening of January 12, 2011 while on patrol in a high narctotics area in Asbury Park, the officers approached two subjects in a “no trespass” section of a public housing complex. The subjects refused to show the officers their faces and fled from the officers. Lt. DeSane and Officers Sangi and Raisin, in disregard of their personal safety, pursued the subjects through an extremely dangerous area of the City and ultimately captured them and placed them under arrest. Both of the subjects were in possession of a weapon. The first handgun was a Jennings Firearms Company .32 caliber. The second handgun was .9mm semi-automatic loaded handgun with one bullet chambered in the gun.
CMerit Award presented to Holmdel Township Patrolman Jake Savage – On March 6, 2011 in response to a call for assistance from the Colts Neck Police Department regarding a serious motor vehicle accident, you arrived and discovered a vehicle with extensive front end damage with its engine compartment fully engulfed in flames. The driver was trapped in the vehicle with his legs pinned under the dashboard. In disregard of his personal safety, Patrolman Savage utilized multiple fire extinguishers to extinguish the blaze, thus preventing the fire from speading to the interior of the vehicle and the driver was then pulled to safety.
Merit Award presented to Keansburg Patrolman Richard Johnson – On November 4, 2011 the TD Bank on Bethany Road, Hazlet, was robbed. Hazlet Township Police responded to the scene and based on their investigation they issued a MOCIB alert at 4PM for a white female wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans. Patrolman Johnson was dispateched to Route 36 and Main Street, which is Keansburg Police Department’s MOCIB location. At approximately 4:20PM the alert was upgraded and information was added regarding the vehicle the suspect was driving. Shortly thereafter, Patrolman Johnson observed the vehicle pass his location. Patrolman Johnson followed the suspect vehicle, making the stop, securing and arresting the suspect until back-up arrived. Due to the diligence and alertness of Patrolman Johnson a serious crime was resolved in a short period of time.
Merit Award presented Presented to Middletown Township Police Detective Lieutenant Stephen Dollinger and Police Sergeant First Class Frederick Deickmann - On the evening of July 10, 2011, Detective Lieutenant Dollinger and Sergeant First Class Deickmann were assigned to work a Quality of Life assignment. During the course of their special assignment they responded to the scene of a family dispute involving a father and his stepsons. The family dispute between the father and his stepsons had emotitionally escalated to such a point that the father not only threatened bodily harm to his stepchildren, but he used anaxe to chop through a bedroom door to gain access to the boys. When the officers arrived they observed the damage caused by the suspect who was still holding the axe. Both officers drew their service weapons and ordered the man to drop the axe. At that point the man turned to face the officers while still maintaining possession of the axe. The suspect took a tightyer grip on the axe handle and after again being ordered to drop the axe raised it and finally dropped the axe. Due to the experience of these officers, this volatile situation was resolved without injury to the children, the suspect or the officers.
Merit Award presented to Middletown Township Patrolman Brian Dilworth - On the morning of August 8, 2011, Patrolman Dilworth was dispatched to a local residence in response to a call regarding two men involved in a verbal altercation. Upon his arrival, Patrolman Dilman found a man and a woman standing out the home. The man had are around the crying woman. The male subject challenged the officer’s presence at his home stating “nobody f-----g called you.” Officer Dilworth explained that he was dispatched to the home regarding a disturbance. At that point the man pulled out a knife and pointed it in the direction of Officer Dilworth. Off Dilworth then pulled his service weapon and order the suspect to drop the knife. After some additional exchanges and orders to drop the knife, the suspect dropped the knife and fled into his house. Office Dilworth, alone and without backup, chased the suspect into the house and apprehended him without injury to the suspect, the victim, or himself.
Merit Award presented to New Jersey State Police Trooper 1st Class Domingo De Los Santos – Trooper De Los Santos is a member of the Sea Girt Academy staff and was put in charge of a “mock station” for the purpose of building a revolutionary training curriculum for New Jersey State Police recruits. Trooper De Los Santos was chosen due to his diligent work ethic, dedication to duty and his creativity in the realm of curriculum development. Over an 18 month period Trooper De Los Santos developed the standard of training for the Academy. He painstakingly met with troopers from throughout the organization to identify the best practices in law enforcement, information technology assets, criminal law, arrest search and seizure techniques, traffic responsibilities and self-defense. In August of 2011 the 151st State Police class commenced training at the Sea Girt Academy and in the 23rd week of their training approximately 85 state policy recruits were the first to receiv e the “Recruit Capstone Training”, where the recruits were put through a “day in the life of a trooper” during a series of real life law enforcement scenarios all due to the diligence of Trooper De Los Santos.
Valor Award Presented to Keansburg Police Special Officer Guillermo Rivera – In the early morning hours of September 18, 2011, Special Officer Rivera was on routine patrol in a marked patrol car when he was stopped by a passing bicyclist who reported that a suspicious looking male had jumped over a fence and went to the rear of Nicosia’s Deli. As Officer Rivera pulled up in fron of the deli he observed a male subject armed with a knife chasing another maile subject out of the store. The victim while being chased had tripped and fallen to the ground. The victim started to crawl away from the armed subject who was approximately 10 feet from him. Officer Rivera drove his patrol car I between both subjects to shield the victim from harm. Officer Rivera then exited his patrol car and drew his service weapon on the perpetrator and orderd him to drop the knife. When the subject refused to drop the knife Officer Rivera repeated his verbal commands to drop the knife and after several minutes the subject dropped the knife and Officer Rivera was able to subdue and apprehend him without bodily injury to the victim, the subject, or himself.
Valor Award Presented to Holmdel Township Patrolman Michael Michalski – On the night of October 7, 2011 while setting up a DWI checkpoint in the parking lot of Dearborn Farms, Patrolman Michalski was operating a marked Holmdel Police vehicle with emergency lighting equipment activated. He was in the left lane of Route 35, following other officers who were on foot placing cones and other traffic safety equipment for the checkpoint. Without warning, a vehicle traveling soubound on Route 35 at a high rate of speed began heading towards the officers on foot. It was clear to Patrolman Michalski that the driver was oblivious to the officers in the roadway. In total disregard of his own personal safety, Patrolman Michaelski moved his patrol car into the path of the vehicle shielding the other officers from being struck and most likely killed. The suspect vehicle struck the patrol car causing serious injury to Patrolman Michalski. The driver of the suspect vehicle was found to be operating the vehicle while under the influence and in possessin of a controlled dangerous substance.
|
|
The 200 Club of Monmouth County, PO Box 402, Spring Lake, NJ 07762 
