Hackensack PBA Presents Merit Awards

The newly-founded PBA Local 9 Merit Board presented a slew of awards to Hackensack police officers ranging from rookies to vets for a variety of good deeds during a special ceremony at city hall on Oct. 24. The awards, in the form of uniform bars, were presented by Detective James Dalton, president of the merit board and vice president of the union. The board was recently formed to acknowledge officers for their hard work and dedication. Dalton and his board members discuss each case and vote on who should receive the award. In the past, awards were presented at PBA meetings in a less formal manner. sented to Police Officers Steve Ochman, Patrick Williams, Matt Jacobsen, Jason Sawyer, Greg Kiselow and Justin de la Bruyere for their actions on May 27, 2012. They were dispatched to a home on Clay Street where they disarmed a violent man in a situation where deadly force would have been justifiable, according to the award. Detective Jason Klosk was applauded for arresting a career criminal and seizing weapons and ammunition from his apartment in June 2012 and received an Investigative Achievement Award. Detectives John Dalton, Niles Malavasia and Joseph Ayoubi and Officer Ed Meneses were acknowledged for Feb. 21, 2012. Officers John Herrmann, Nino Gallorini, Matt Antista, Richard Melber and Justin de la Bruyere received Unit Citation Awards for their swift response to a burglary in progress in July 2011 on Marvin Avenue. Officers John Knapp, Greg Zisa and William Pierce and Sgt. James Smith were applauded for their actions last November during a home invasion on Gamewell Street where masked gunmen used duct tape and cords to bound the homes residents. Smith accepted an Honorable Service Medal and the officers accepted a Unit Citation Medal. Detectives Matt Swetits, Joseph Ayoubi and Niles Malavasia earned Meritorious Service Medals for showing extreme bravery and dedication under adverse conditions during an undercover investigation into illegal gun sales in the city in February. Officer James Luther accepted an Honorable Service Medal for assisting the Maywood and Elmwood Park police arrest a bank robbery suspect in March. Detectives John Dalton and Demetrius Carroll were presented Investigative Achievement Medals for arresting a violent offender who was dealing drugs in the city and seizing a high powered assault rifle and other weapons in July 2012. Detective William Inglima, Sgts. Frank Tripodi and Mike Antista and Officer Rocco Duardo accepted a Unit Citation

Photo Courtesy: Gail Vachon

Police Officers Matt Jacobsen, Patrick Williams, Justin de la Bruyere, Steve Ochman and Greg Kiselow. Medal for their actions on August 2011 when they pursued and arrested dangerous felons after a violent struggle. Officers Joseph Inglima and Jason Sawyer received Honorable Service Medals for their actions on Aug. 15, 2012 where they arrested a career criminal responsible for several burglaries in the Euclid Avenue area. Sgt. Frank Tripodi and Officers Aldrin Lamboy, Pedro Dominguez, Jason Bay and James Han were applauded for arresting three felons following an aggravated assault with a handgun on Aug. 19, 2012 in the area of Berry Street. Detective John Dalton and Officers Ryan Weber and Alexander Lopez-Arenas were commended for their relentless pursuit of justice in a twoyear-old case where a beating was posted on YouTube. The team identified the attacker and arrested her in May 2012. Lt. Pete Busciglio, Detectives William Inglima, Demetrius Carroll, Jason Klosk, Mike Antista and Officer Travara Morton for their work in seizing a large amount of crack and arresting several dealers in a case that spanned a three-month period in 2011 and involved Morton working undercover. Awards went out to Officers Brett McCarthy, Mark Delcarpio, Matt Jacobsen, Patrick Williams and John Knapp for arresting an armed robber following a foot pursuit along Main Street in December 2011. Officers John Herrmann and Franklin Laboy accepted a Life Saving Medal for performing CPR and artificial aspirations by using a bag valve mask on a man who was found lying in a pool of blood on Lawrence Street in March 19. Detective William Inglima accepted an Honorable Service Medal for chasing an armed suspect on foot along railroad tracks and arresting him after a struggle in August 2012. Finally, Detective John Dalton earned a Gallantry Star and Investigative Achievement Medal for his work with the federal Drug Enforcement Administrations New Jersey Task Force starting in 2009. During his time with the DEA, Daltons work resulted in the arrests of 27 suspects and the seizure of 1 kilogram of heroin, 106 kilograms of cocaine and more than $10.6 million in cash, 10 percent of which Hackensack will receive.

Photo Courtesy: Gail Vachon

Police Officer Timothy Sroka and Det. James Dalton. The accolades were handed out for police calls dating back to July 2011 through September 2012. Merit Awards were pretheir work in arresting members of the DDP (Dominicans Dont Play) gang in a case that stemmed from a motor vehicle stop for a broken tail light on

Maywood Family Engagements

Her fianc is in the U.S. Marine Corps and is stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Megan is the granddaughter of Frank Spina of Maywood. A February 2013 wedding is planned. The couple will reside in Jacksonville, N.C. Spina, Kaminsky Engaged Susan and Michael Spina of Vernon announce the engagement of their daughter, Morgan Elizabeth Spina, to Michael Christopher Kaminsky, son of Eva and Michael Kaminsky of North Myrtle Beach, S.C. The bride-to be

Square Dancing at the Station

Spina, Rees Engaged Susan and Michael Spina of Vernon announce the engagement of their daughter, Megan Alysse Spina, to Sgt. Alexander William Rees, son of Martha and Paul Rees of Houghton Lake, Mich. The bride-to be is a 2004 graduate of Vernon Township High School and a graduate of East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C., where she earned a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree in criminology. She is an adjunct professor at East Carolina University.

Page 20 - November 2012 - The County Seat

is a 2006 graduate of Vernon Township High School. She is pursuing a Bachelors degree in early childhood education at Felician College in Lodi. Her fianc attained a Bachelors degree in sociology from Coastal Carolina University, Conway, S.C. He is a New York City police officer. Morgan is the granddaughter of Frank Spina of Maywood. A December 2013 wedding is planned. The couple will live in Huntington, N.Y.

Photo Courtesy: Ed Kaminski

On Oct. 21, the Maywood Square Dancing Club performed outside the Maywood Station Museum.