Fourteen members of the Stony Brook University Police Department were honored at the annual SUNY Police Chiefs Association Awards, which were presented at a virtual ceremony last week.
Lieutenant Alfred Robinson, Lieutenant Christopher Yap, and Officers Scott Rodriguez and Jason Fanning earned the Heroism Award, given to departmental members for “conspicuous gallantry while acting in the line of duty.” It is presented to officers for acts of exceptional bravery performed at very high risk to their own lives with full awareness of the danger involved.
Officers Jared King and Joseph Bica, along with Lieutenant Robert Jones and Officers Daniel Rapczyk, Scott Rodriguez and John Buchner Jr., were among the winners of the Life Saving Award, presented to any member of the department whose actions “directly contribute to saving or significantly prolonging human life.” The awards recognized two distinct life-saving events.
Officers Michael Schwenzer, Jason Fanning and Bryan Maritato, along with Officer Lawrence Hamilton Jr., were recognized with the Professional Service Award, presented to members “for those acts that greatly enhance the operation of their respective university police department.” Again, the awards were presented in recognition of two particular events.
SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras extended his congratulations and thanked “all of our law enforcement personnel who work tirelessly each and every day to keep us safe.”
“2020 was a year of unprecedented challenge, and you managed to save lives, deescalate situations that could have turned deadly, and serve as role models,” Malatras said. “We asked you to do more, and you stepped up without hesitation. Today and every day you are a great source of pride for our entire university system.”
The Police Chiefs Association also honored Stony Brook Deputy Chief Bruce Redden, who lost his battle with cancer on January 1, 2020. Redden was a 20-year veteran of the State University Police force and rose through the ranks from Police Officer to Lieutenant to Deputy Chief. Redden received many awards, including the SUNY Chiefs Association Professional Service award in 2015, and in November 2020, following a tradition where police dogs are named after fallen officers, SUNY Delhi chose to name their new K9 search and rescue officer “Redd,” after him.
Visit the awards website for the full list of winners, and descriptions of the events for which the winners were recognized.
[…] equivalent to Officer of the Quarter, in addition to awards from the SUNY Chiefs of Police. Fourteen members of the UPD were honored on the annual SUNY Police Chiefs Affiliation Awards final […]