Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 last week presented three special recognition awards and honored dozens of officers for outstanding work in 2018.
FOP president John McNesby said Philadelphia has the “best police department in the country.” Later in the night, on Jan. 24, McNesby appeared on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight to outline his disagreements with District Attorney Larry Krasner.
At the ceremony, McNesby called for a moment of silence for officer Andy Chan, seriously injured Jan. 3 when a van hit his motorcycle on Rhawn Street, near Pennypack Park. Chan is recovering at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital.
First Deputy Police Commissioner Myron Patterson also addressed the crowd.
Special recognition awards went to Michelle Pawlowski, Roslyn Talley and the Police Academy staff and recruits.
Pawlowski is the sister-in-law of Police Officer John Pawlowski, who was murdered in 2009. Inspired by Wreaths Across America, her family started the Fallen Heroes Wreath Program during the 2014 holiday season following the anti-police sentiment in Ferguson, Missouri, where a police officer shot a young man to death who had reached for his gun. In retaliation, just five days before Christmas that year, a gunman murdered New York Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.
John Pawlowski is among 18 fallen officers buried at Resurrection Cemetery. On the first Saturday in December, Michelle Pawlowski and her team place wreaths on their graves.
Thom Hoban is director of the program, which also places wreaths on graves of fallen officers at 70 cemeteries in the Philadelphia area. The program has expanded to 10 other states.
Talley, an officer assigned to the Police Academy, organized a prom for 70 special-needs people last May at the FOP. Former Eagles Hollis Thomas and Ike Reese made appearances.
The Police Academy staff and recruits helped save a recruit’s life when he suffered a heart attack on Jan. 4 after completing a run.
Other award recipients were Nabil Assad, Robert Bakos, William Barr, Joseph Basciano, David Brunetti, Frederick Buck, Michael Cannon, Ryndi Green-Coneby, Michael Copestick, Raymond Convery, Robert Cucinelli, Brian Devlin, Richard DiPaolo, James Dougherty, John Dougherty, Dallas Drummond, Joseph Dydak, Kenneth Fazio, Thomas Fitzpatrick, David Gerard, Kevin Gorman, Richard Gremlich, Paul Guercio, Leslie Haddock, Robert Hagy, Stephen Henry, Matthew Ibbotson, Nazrul Islam, Edward Keppol, Dustin Kology, Michael Kopecki, Mark Kvalsvik, Frank LaFontana, John Lee III, Stephen Mauer, James McAleese, Jeffrey McGarvey, Sean McKnight, Robert McMahon, Douglas Miller, Daniel Mimm, Joseph Moore, Anthony Nicoletti, William O’Brien, Richard Pacell, Ronald Palumbo, Orlando Perez, Stephen Poole, Matthew Preston, Eric Pross, Joseph Rauchut, Jason Reid, Allen Relova, Charles Rillera, Daniel Rivera, Maritza Rodriguez, Dennis Rosenbaum, Frederick Roth, Jacqueline Ryan, Patrick Saba, Keith Samarco, Sammy Sanchez, Thomas Schaffling, Scott Schweizer, Philip Scratchard, Pablo Seda, Jason Seigafuse, John Seigafuse, Daniel Siebels, Timmy Sin, Ashley Sipos, Brian Smith, Joseph Stalbaum, Michael Szelagowski, Ryan Teaford, Ismael Vasquez, David Vogler, Michael Williams and Zachary Zgleszewski. ••
