Officer Tom Carpino (left) was named Officer of the Year for the 7th district. Officers Derrick Walker (second from left) and Randy Vogt were nominated for the award. Presenters were Deputy Commissioner Thomas Wright, (third from right) Captain Joe Zaffino (second from right) and Lieutenant Mike Root. (Bill Kenny)
There is no shortage of powerful people who appreciate the work performed by the officers in the 7th Police District.
Five Pennsylvania lawmakers, a City Council member and Philadelphia’s controller joined the 7th Police District Advisory Council recently in honoring Tom Carpino as the district’s Officer of the Year for 2011.
In a vote of PDAC members, Carpino edged out fellow nominees Randy Vogt and Derrick Walker for the award.
Lt. Mike Root, the district’s administrative officer, nominated Carpino for his record of several high-profile arrests during the year, along with the officer’s consistently high standard of performance.
“In 2011, Tom made several quality arrests including robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, theft, narcotics and several quality of life arrests,” Root wrote in a nomination letter.
In one case, Carpino captured two men as they burglarized a home on the 2300 block of Stanwood St. In another case, Carpino arrested two men after he saw them trying to break into the New Boulevard Diner at 11650 Roosevelt Blvd.
In the latter case, Carpino was assigned to a special burglary detail and positioned himself in a police car on the northbound side of Roosevelt Boulevard. One day, between 2 and 3 a.m., he saw two men acting suspiciously near the diner on the southbound side of the state highway. The restaurant was closed to business at the time.
When the men tried to shatter a window, Carpino ran across 12 lanes of traffic to capture them
In another case, Carpino arrested a thief after he had stolen a cash register from the Tiffany Diner at Roosevelt Boulevard and Welsh Road.
State Sens. Mike Stack and Christine Tartaglione took part in last week’s award presentation, as did state Reps. Brendan Boyle, Kevin Boyle and John Sabatina, City Councilman Brian O’Neill and City Controller Alan Butkovitz.
Deputy Commissioner Thomas Wright and Capt. Joe Zaffino of the 7th district represented the police department’s command staff.
Lt. David Curry nominated Vogt for the award upon the recommendations of Sgt. James Lennon and Vogt’s platoon mates. Vogt was named the district’s Officer of the Month twice in 2011 and was nominated for a third monthly award.
He is the designated Major Incident and Response Team Officer for the district, a job that requires him to train for and respond to terrorist and chemical-radiological incidents that may occur. He has successfully completed the training for the U.S. Homeland Security Department’s first responder team.
Sgt. Anthony DiPietro nominated Walker as Officer of the Year for his consistently positive attitude and work ethic, along with several outstanding arrests ranging from quality-of-life violations to a burglary in progress. Walker earned two merit commendations in 2011 and an Officer of the Month award. In addition, Walker scored well on a recent promotional exam and is in line to become a detective.
Walker was one of two officers recognized as Officers of the Month for April 2012, along with Barbara Tiano.
The honor stemmed from their response to a disturbance outside a Bustleton bar/restaurant on Friday, April 20.
Tiano was on patrol on the 9900 block of Bustleton Ave. when she saw people fighting in front of the business. Two men appeared to be attacking a third man. Then when an off-duty officer tried to break up the melee, the attackers allegedly assaulted him and fractured his skull.
Tiano used police radio to call for backup and describe the assailants, who fled the scene in a car.
A short time later, Walker spotted their car traveling on the 1900 block of Welsh Road. He stopped the vehicle and arrested the two alleged attackers.
Meanwhile, the off-duty officer was treated at an area hospital and is recovering from his injuries. ••
