Mayor de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bratton Honor 36 Members of The NYPD and 11 Commands at Annual Ceremony

June 10, 2014

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner William J. Bratton today honored 36 members of the New York City Police Department and recognized 11 commands for exceptional performance at the annual NYPD Medal Day ceremony held in front of One Police Plaza.

“Your willingness to put your own lives on the line to protect your fellow citizens is an inspiration to all, and today’s ceremony is our opportunity to recognize your remarkable work and unwavering heroism in the face of constant challenge and danger,” said Mayor de Blasio.

“Each year, at our medal day ceremony, we honor members of the service who have displayed extraordinary courage under great duress. We honor them because their courage guarantees the other, enduring qualities that the public has come to identify with the men and women of the NYPD: honor, integrity, and sacrifice. Without these qualities we could
not succeed in our mission,” said Police Commissioner Bratton.
Members of the service who were awarded Tuesday:

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL
The Distinguished Service Medal is conferred upon the family member of the member of the service who succumbed to illness associated with exceptional duty, performed with great responsibility, under unusual hazard or demand. The following 12 members of the of the service who succumbed to illnesses contracted following the rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks were posthumously honored with Distinguished Service Medals:

Lieutenant Steven L. Cioffi, Central Park Precinct
Sergeant Michael J. McHugh, Patrol Borough Manhattan South
Detective First Grade John F. Kristoffersen, Brooklyn North Homicide Squad
Detective First Grade Tommy L. Merriweather, Firearms Suppression Division
Detective Second Grade Carmen M. Figueroa, Major Case Squad
Detective Second Grade Thomas F. Weiner, Jr., Medical Division
Detective Traci L. Tack-Czajkowski, Drug Enforcement Task Force
Police Officer Karen E. Barnes, Police Service Area 1
Police Officer Ronald G. Becker Jr., 42 Precinct
Police Officer Richard G. Holland, Transit District 20
Police Officer Frank G. Macri, Police Service Area 2
Police Officer Francis T. Pitone, Police Service Area 8

POLICE COMMISSIONER’S AWARD
The Police Commissioner’s Award is bestowed upon an on-duty civilian member of the service assigned to enforcement duties primarily within the School Safety Division or Traffic Enforcement District, for actions performed above and beyond the call of duty. The following civilian member of the service was posthumously awarded the Police Commissioner’s Award.  He died as a result of a traffic accident while on summons enforcement duty:

Traffic Enforcement Agent Level II
Kalyanaratne Ranasinghe, Manhattan South Enforcement Section

POLICE COMBAT CROSS
The Department’s second highest award, the Police Combat Cross, is bestowed for extraordinary acts of heroism while engaged in personal struggle with an armed adversary under circumstances of imminent personal hazard.  The following 12 members of the service including one retiree received the Police Combat Cross:

Lieutenant Special Assignment Barry Duigan, Emergency Service Unit
Sergeant Joseph LaFata, Criminal Intel Section
Sergeant Robert Martinez, 75 Precinct
Sergeant Latonya Williams, 7 Precinct
Detective Alan Fred, Internal Affairs Bureau
Police Officer Devon Davis, 19 Precinct
Police Officer Eugene Donnelly, 46 Precinct
Police Officer Giovanni Fini, 75 Precinct
Police Officer Thomas Napolitano, Warrant Section
Police Officer Christopher Nieves, 76 Precinct
Retired Police Officer Walter Loor, 28 Precinct

MEDAL FOR VALOR
The Department’s third highest award, the Medal for Valor, is granted for acts of outstanding personal bravery performed in the line of duty and at imminent personal hazard to life, under circumstances evincing disregard for personal consequences.  The following 12 members of the service received the Medal for Valor including one retired member and two undercover OCCB detectives:

Sergeant Keith Beddows, 41 Precinct
Sergeant Damon McMullen, Patrol Borough Brooklyn North
Police Officer Douglas Brightman, PBMN Task Force
Police Officer Thomas Cozart, PBMN Specialized Units
Police Officer Steve Eckert, Harbor Unit
Police Officer Rusty Garcia, 28 Precinct
Police Officer Juan Pichardo, 41 Precinct
Police Officer Albert Romano, ESS 6
Police Officer Michael Tedeschi, PBMN Specialized Units
Undercover Detective, Firearms Suppression Division
Undercover Detective, Firearms Suppression Division
Retired Sergeant Paul Kerrigan, Quartermaster Section

UNIT CITATION RECIPIENTS
The hard work and dedication of the personnel assigned to the following commands were recognized for outstanding performance in 2013:

79 Precinct
113 Precinct
122 Precinct
Transit District 33
Central Records Division
Cold Case & Apprehension Squad
Firearms Suppression Division
Juvenile Justice Division
Patrol Borough Bronx Anti-Crime Unit
School Safety Division
Warrant Section