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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Walden honors its finest at awards ceremony
Sgt. Eric Metzger
2nd Unit Citation
Distinguished
Volunteer Service
award
Long and Faithful
Service 20 years
Sgt. William Herlihy
4th Life Saving award
Narcotics Citation
Distinguished
Volunteer Service
award
Unit Citation
Sgt. Roy Werner
2nd Unit Citation
Narcotics Citation
Distinguished
Volunteer Service
award
3rd Grand Cordon
award
Photo provided
Members of the Walden Police Department posed for a group photo at the conclusion of last Thursday’s awards ceremony.
By LAURA FITZGERALD
[email protected]
The Walden Police Department (WPD)
honored members of its force last
Thursday night with an award ceremony,
where all 25 members received awards for
their service to the community in 2017.
“Tonight, we are honoring 25 officers
and awarding members of the Walden
Police Department who in 2017, provided
actions that denote heroism, merits and
outstanding service and achievement for
that year,” police chief Jeffry Holmes
said.
Members received the Life Saving
award, Distinguished Volunteer Service
award, Narcotics Citation, Exceptional
Police Duty award, Unit Citation, Grand
Cordon award, Long and Faithful Service
awards, the Mayor’s award and the Village
Manager award.
The Life Saving Award, an award that
is given to an officer who is credited
with saving the life or limb of another,
was given to 12 officers for reviving
drug overdose victims with naloxone, a
synthetic drug that counters the effects
of a drug overdose by blocking opiate
receptors in the nervous system. The
Walden police department administered
17 naloxone saves in 2017, Holmes said.
“It’s probably small compared to other
communities but with a small community
like Walden with on ly 6,000 residents it
does point out what the crisis is local,”
Holmes said. “If we had not been there, in
almost all these cases, these people would
not have survived.”
Narcotic Citation, Exceptional Police
Duty award, Unit Citation and Grand
Cordon awards were given to 14 members
for their service in the investigation that
led to the largest drug bust in Walden
in decades. WPD seized four kilograms
of powder cocaine valued at $120,000-
$150,000 on Feb. 23, 2017 from a duplex at
38 East Main St.
Officer Dustin James, who died in a
motorcycle accident in April 2017, was
awarded a Unit Citation and Narcotics
Citation posthumously to honor his
service with that investigation.
An Exceptional Police Duty award
honors an officer who completes an
unusual act of intelligence or for
demonstrating special perseverance
that contributes to a valuable police
accomplishment. The Unit of Citation is
presented for a team effort whose efforts
exemplified the entire unit or mission in
a cited action, and Grand Cordon honors
an individual officer whose efforts led the
entire unit or mission in a cited action.
The Distinguished Volunteer Service
awards that 13 members received were
primarily for their service with National
Night Out, an annual community-
building campaign that promotes
police-community partnerships. The
award honors an officer who completes
community or police service they didn’t
receive compensation for.
Officer John Conklin received
the Mayor’s award for achievement
in carrying out the mission of the
government of the village of Walden.
“This officer, through his work, ethics,
professional commitment to the village
of Walden police department and his
personal dedication to our community
provides the example that community-
orientated officers should strive for,”
mayor Susan Rumbold said.
Officer Frank Pettine received the
Village Manager’s award for his service
to the community.
“He continues to serve our community
with professionalism and passion,” village
manager John Revella said. “Officer
Pettine will step up and work wherever
needed and with his own forty years of
law enforcement experience, outstanding
work ethic and commendable moral
standards, our residents are assured
protection, respect and compassion.”
Officer Robert Montanaro received a
Long and Faithful Service award for 15
years of service with the Walden Police
Department. Three members received a
service award for 20 years of service.
Sergeant Roy Werner said it feels good
to be recognized by the community he
serves. Serving as a police officer is his
way of giving back.
“We’re here for them. It’s our job to
support the community, to serve them
in their bad times that they encounter,”
Werner said. “We want them to feel like
we’re gonna welcome them and whatever
times they encounter to try to make
things better for them.”
Ofc. John Conklin
6th Life Saving award
2nd Unit Citation
Distinguished
Volunteer Service
award
Mayor’s award
Ofc. Robert
Montanaro
11th Life Saving award
2nd Unit Citation
3rd Distinguished
Volunteer Service
award
Long and Faithful
Service 15 years
Ofc. Dennis Marlatt
5th Life Saving award
Ofc. Adam Watt
5th Life Saving award
2nd Unit Citation
Narcotics Citation
Ofc. Dustin James
2nd Unit Citation
Narcotics Citation
Ofc. Robert Reynolds
4th Life Saving award
7th Exceptional Police
Duty
2nd Unit Citation
Narcotics Citation
Ofc. Justin Hall
8th Life Saving award
3rd Narcotics Citation
Unit Citation
Ofc. Craig Dudas
3rd Life Saving award
Ofc. David Kurtz
Unit Citation
2nd Distinguished
Volunteer Service
award
Ofc. Frank Pettine
Distinguished
Volunteer Service
award
Village Manager’s
award
Ofc. Robert Doviken
Distinguished
Volunteer Service
Ofc. Peter Wolven
Long and Faithful
Service 20 years
Ofc. Daniel Graham
2nd Distinguished
Volunteer Service
Ofc. Kevin Greaney
2nd Distinguished
Volunteer Service
Ofc. Matt Collins
5th Life Saving award
2nd Unit Citation
Distinguished
Volunteer Service
Ofc. Heather Fries
Distinguished
Volunteer Service
Ofc. Kristopher
Kolvenbach
Unit Citation
Narcotics Citation
Ofc. Nicole Morrissey
2nd Life Saving award
Distinguished
Volunteer Service
award
Ofc. Siara Rios
Distinguished
Volunteer Service
award
Ofc. Anthony Galeno
Life Saving award
Dispatcher Kathleen
McClintock
Long and Faithful
Service 20 years