BPD honors valor and service in annual awards ceremony

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The third annual Bloomfield Police Department awards ceremony was held in the council chambers on Monday, May 15. Four kinds of awards were presented for police actions which occurred in 2016: for valor; excellence of duty; a unit award; and the director’s award for an individual.
The master of ceremonies was Lt. George Ricci, of the Youth Aid Division.

The national anthem was sung by Lauren Brown and the invocation was provided by Bishop Charles Brown, of the Bethel Church of Love and Praise.

Brown began by thanking God for another opportunity to give thanks. He thanked Mayor Michael Venezia and the Bloomfield Council for their vision and BPD Director Sam DeMaio for serving with honor. Brown celebrated the officers who were to be awarded.

“They have dedicated their lives in their profession,” he said. “Oh, God — recognize their achievement.”

At the microphone, DeMaio thanked Venezia, Township Administrator Matthew Watkins and the BPD command staff. He said the police award ceremony is one of the most important events in the township.

“While people are running away from danger, who runs toward it?” he said. “What we do affects people’s lives. Not everyone can say that.”

Venezia told the police to keep up the good work. He was followed by DeMaio who read the valor award. Most of the award recipients sat together in the first few rows. Some officers garnered more than one award.

One valor award went to Detective Thomas Lutz and Officer Anthony Batelli. DeMaio said they had been informed of two men brandishing a firearm. Both suspects were apprehended and the handgun, stolen, was recovered.

A second valor award went to Sgt. Michael Moleski, Lutz, and officers Leonard Antinozzi, Joseph Condito and Donald Grey, who came upon a burning building. They evacuated the building and while doing so, discovered an interior door that was locked. They forced their way in and discovered a man asleep. They evacuated this person.

Excellence in police duty went to the following:
• Officers Timothy Kealy and George Bambera, who made a vehicle stop. Searching the car, they uncovered a loaded handgun.
• Officers Reuben Rivera and Grey, who made a vehicle stop and smelled marijuana in the car. They confiscated drugs with the arrest.
• Officer Matthew Rubbinaccio and Lutz, for making a vehicle stop which netted a loaded handgun and drugs.
• Officers Gemner Rosales and Rivera, for making a vehicle stop afterwhich one of the occupants fled on foot, discarding a loaded handgun. The suspect was apprehended and the handgun recovered.
• Lt. Nicholas Polidoro and Lutz, who made a motor-vehicle stop of a person who could not produce an identification. The suspect confessed that he had a loaded handgun.
• Detective Meljun Pascua and Officer Reggie Joseph. They responded to a medical call and found a man unconscious. They were able to revive him to save his life.
• Officers Jose Alicea and Georgio Antinori. They were alerted to a burglary. Responding to the scene, they located two suspects and arrested them.
• Sgt. Anthony Litterio and Polidoro, who made a motor-vehicle stop. They smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and made a search. They recovered drugs and a handgun.
• Officers Ana Ruiz, Rubbinaccio and Grey. These officers made a motor-vehicle stop and smelled marijuana coming from inside the car. They made a search of the compartment and recovered a loaded handgun, drugs and drug paraphernalia.
• Polidoro, Lutz, Litterio and Officer Anthony Batelli, for making a vehicle stop and recovering a loaded handgun and a quantity of uncut cocaine.
• Sgt. Mark Moskal, Officer Timothy Kealy and Detective Hector Nunez, who responded to a disturbance involving a stabbing and the kidnapping of a woman. They provided accurate information to the NJ State Police who apprehended the suspects.
• Officers Frank Falco and Nicolae Toader who made a motor-vehicle stop. They had been given information by Kealy that the vehicle possibly contained a firearm. The officers confiscated a loaded handgun from the vehicle.
Toader, Falco and Polidoro. After surveilling a suspicious vehicle, they made a stop and smelled marijuana. Making a search, they discovered a handgun and ski mask.
• Also receiving awards for police excellence were detectives Harry Norris and James Romano; Sgt. Jannor Navarro and Officer Teobaldo Osis.
DeMaio then presented the unit award. He said this award was given to the unit that worked above and beyond the call of duty. He said it was a difficult choice.
“So many people worked so hard,” he said. “But one unit stood out and that was the Detective Bureau.”

DeMaio said his director’s award goes to someone who brings back results, not problems.

He said the individual helped implement the body camera system, the new anonymous tip app, and upgraded the roll call room.

He presented the award to Lt. Vincent Kerney, who heads the Internal Affairs Division.

The benediction was then given by Brown who asked God to bless the officers just recognized.