During a ceremony at SUNY Purchase College in Harrison, rookie officers from Nassau County to Poughkeepsie -- and two dozen police departments in between -were recognized for completing 20 weeks of rigorous training.
Westchester County Department of Public Safety Commissioner George N. Longworth noted that the academy's 141st class is the second to complete its training at a newly renovated facility in Valhalla. County government spent $19 million on the project.
"Welcome to the Westchester law enforcement family," Longworth told more than 300 family members and fellow police officers. "The best job on Earth."
The City of Mount Vernon Police Department welcomed the most new officers on Friday -- with 11 graduates -- while many rookies were congratulated on stage by their new police chiefs, commissioners or family members already serving in law enforcement.
White Plains Police Department recruit Amy Carelli, for example, has several relatives serving on or retired from area police departments. Her father retired as an officer in the Village of Mamaroneck and her twin brother and a cousin are active local police officers.
Here are the newest graduates from police departments in Westchester County:
Town of Bedford: Ronald Sauber
Town of Greenburgh: Nicholas Albano
Vilage of Larchmont: Danielle Lent
City of Mount Vernon: Brian Colasacco, Benny Gutierrez, Clifford Haviland, Rodney Henriquez, Robert Kressman, Lawrence Abdu, Richard Papa Jr., Sebastian Salazar, Ronald Simpson, Michael-Thomas Timpone and Alexander Zapletal
Village of Ossining: Jose Cosme and Ryan Tompkins
Village of Port Chester: Leonard Carriero-Granados, Yovani Lago and Kyle Manning Jr.,
Village of Tarrytown: Blake Butler and DaVonn Warner
City of White Plains: Amy Carelli, Steven Silfa and Michael Vanderwalker
City of Yonkers: Kyle McPhillips
The remaining graduates and their departments:
Town of Kent: Steven Gasparrini and Angel Rivera
Putnam County Sheriff's Office: Kevin Osika.
Village of Lynbrook (Nassau County): Michael Monaghan
Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor: Stephen Abreu
City of Poughkeepsie: Joseph Whalen II
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