Chamber Hosts 2024 Police Officer of the Year Awards
On Wednesday, August 7, the Staten Island Chamber hosted the 2024 Police Officer of the Year Awards, in partnership with Staten Island Media Group. The annual event celebrated the best of Staten Island’s police officers by honoring them for their extraordinary actions and commitment to the communities they serve.
More than 250 attendees joined the event, hosted at The Vanderbilt at South Beach, to celebrate the 28 honorees.
Police Officer Matthew McCarthy, of the 123rd Precinct’s Traffic Safety Team, was named Police Officer of the Year for performing life-saving CPR on an infant who had stopped breathing.
Detective Michael Gagliardi and Detective Stephen Napolitano were honored as Detectives of the Year for 2023. They were recognized for their dedication to the Hostage Negotiation Team and their efforts in ensuring a positive outcome during a critical incident involving an armed barricaded perpetrator. Their negotiation efforts, which lasted for six hours, resulted in the perpetrator's voluntary surrender without any loss of life.
Among the attendees included Staten Island Chamber President and CEO Linda Baran, Borough President Vito Fossella, Assistant District Attorney Tom Ridges, and NYPD Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban, all of which commended the honorees and extended their appreciation for their service.
“This event is so important to us and the business community on Staten Island,” said Linda Baran. “This is the business community’s way of saying thank you to the police officers who give so much to ensuring that Staten Island is the safest borough to live and run a business.”
“Sometimes others in other parts of the city forget what it means to be a member of the New York City Police Department,’' said Borough President Vito Fossella. “Fortunately on Staten Island we don’t. We honor their service. We honor their commitment to put their lives between us and those who want to bring us damage.”
“What a wonderful day and opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your service of the people to Staten Island and this great city,” said Assistant D.A. Tom Ridges. “Events like this are important and special to D.A. McMahon, as they are to me — a retired member of the NYPD.”
NYPD Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban served as the event’s keynote speaker. “The men and women of the NYPD work together to keep half a million Staten Islanders safe,” said the commissioner. “That work is making a real difference — major crime is down 7% since last year.”
The event was sponsored by Signature Sponsors Barasch & McGarry, Gerald Peters, Sottile Security, Richmond University Medical Center, and Staten Island University Hospital, as well as Partner Sponsors Northfield Bank and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
The full list of honorees can be found here. Quotes courtesy of the Staten Island Advance. Photos by Steve White, Staten Arts Photography.
