In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. Currently, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC to participate in a number of planned events which honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

For those who can not make the trip, similar events and ceremonies are held locally to honor the brave men and women who serve in Law Enforcement.  These ceremonies often include Commendations and Promotions. 

In May of 2008, the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department hosted its 1^st Annual Commendation and Promotion Ceremony to honor the courageous work of the Public Safety Department’s uniformed officers, and to thank the community for its assistance in making Roosevelt Island a safe place to live.

2012 Commendation and Promotion Ceremony

We encourage all of you to join us for this year’s ceremony, which will take place on May 18 at the 591 Main Street Plaza.  Officers will be recognized for the exemplary jobs they have done on specific service calls in the past year. Among those receiving commendations will be Officers Julio Jimenez and Jonathan Martinez for helping to save the life of a man who had jumped into the East River in February.

Additionally, Officers Christian Gilmore and Michael Cabassa will both be officially promoted to the rank of Detective, and two Roosevelt Island Grounds employees will receive a special award for assistance they provided to the Public Safety Department during the Life-Save Incident.

As a part of National Police Week, the ceremony is our way of thanking our own law enforcement officers for the important work they do to serve and protect our community.