Rebel with a cause
Two members of Gloucester Coun-
ty Local 122 are being recognized for
their hard work to rid Deptford Town-
ship of illegal narcotics and handguns.
Pictured below are Officer Matt Princi-
pato, Officer Mike Tirado and his K-9,
Rebel.
Due to their outstanding work eth-
ic and a nearly 50-page submission
of notable arrests, both Principato
and Tirado were recognized by the
NJNEOA on June 8 in Atlantic City
with the Narcotics Officer of the Year
(South) award.
Officer Principato works in con-
junction with K-9 handler Tirado and
Rebel to find individuals in Deptford
Township and subsequently shut
down their illegal operations. Due
to their work, and that of many oth-
er hard-working officers, Deptford
Township is currently seventeenth in
the state in narcotics enforcement and
first in non-resident drug arrests.
These officers are making a differ-
ence, and Deptford Township is grate-
ful for their outstanding work effort.
d
The taste of giving back
Police officers are known for helping the
community in more ways than one. Officer
Tracy Baldassare from Bernards Township
Local 357 decided to show her support for
a community that has given her so much
by organizing the 12th annual Wine & Spir-
it Tasting presented by the department.
This year’s event took place at Dolce in
Basking Ridge, with 24 food and alcohol
vendors and 160 attendees. Baldassare has
been organizing the event for seven years,
but it was only five years ago that she de-
cided to choose a local charity to receive
the proceeds of the event. This year’s recip-
ient was Safe & Sound, located in Somerset.
While it’s great to see familiar faces from
her department and from the town, Bal-
dassare’s favorite part of the night was get-
ting to present Safe & Sound with a check
for $4,000.
“We organize a really nice night for peo-
ple to come out and enjoy themselves,” she
said, “but they’re also coming out to sup-
port a great cause.” d
70
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ JULY 2017