July 31, 2009

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Michael Saucier / Mercedes Padilla (718) 595-6600

Fifteen New Environmental Protection Police Officers Graduate From Academy

New EPOs to Strengthen the Police Force that Protects the NYC Water Supply

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today held a graduation ceremony for fifteen environmental police officers from the seventh class of cadet graduates of the Department’s Environmental Police Academy. The new Environmental Police Officers (EPOs) will strengthen the police force in charge of protecting the New York City water supply.

“The DEP Police protect the water supply that serves nine million residents and every EPO goes through an intense and stringent training in environmental and law enforcement protection,” said DEP Acting Commissioner Steven Lawitts. “We welcome the new members to our force and wish them well as future guardians of the safety of our water supply system.”

The graduation ceremony for the new EPOs took place in Kingston and was attended by Acting Commissioner Lawitts, Deputy Commissioner for Security Kevin McBride, DEP Police Chief Mark Benedetto and members of the DEP Police.

The DEP Police Academy, which started 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 state-of-the art equipment for environmental protection. The fifteen new graduates have successfully completed a total of twenty weeks of instruction in which they undergo intense training in environmental law and police administration, which includes police training in the laws of arrest, use of force, justification, firearms, defensive tactics, terrorism and police science. In addition, recruits must complete courses in environmental conservation law.

The graduates are: Shaun P. Adams, Luis Alvarez, Caroline Boice, Elliot J. Clapton, Brandon S. Edwards, Mark Froloff, Mathew Gilhooley, Michael Graff, Louis P. Gregori, Scott D. Hommel, Charles Luna, Kevin Martinez, Christina Murphy, William Piemonte and Travis Winters.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection manages the City’s water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of water each day to more than 9 million residents throughout New York State through a complex network of nineteen reservoirs, three controlled lakes and 6,200 miles of water pipes, tunnels and aqueducts. DEP is also responsible for managing storm water throughout the City and treating wastewater at 14 in-City wastewater treatment plants. DEP carries out federal Clean Water Act rules and regulations, handles hazardous materials emergencies and toxic site remediation, oversees asbestos monitoring and removal, enforces the City's air and noise codes, bills and collects on City water and sewer accounts, and manages city-wide water conservation programs.

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