Twenty Three Officers Honored for Making the Most DWI Arrests in 2015 Suffolk Police Officer Joshua Parsons & Northport Police Officer Michale Gigante Among the Honorees
Suffolk County Executive Bellone, Suffolk County Police Department Commissioner Timothy Sini and Suffolk County Stop DWI representatives honored 23 police officers, including Suffolk County Police Officer Joshua Parsons, for leading the department’s initiative to reduce drunk driving and reckless vehicular behavior.
Steve Bellone, PO Joshua Parsons, Inspector Hatton, William Lindsay, Chief Cameron
The ceremony, held at the Suffolk County Police Academy at Suffolk County Community College, honored law enforcement agents who made the biggest difference in their respective communities in 2015. Each department, precinct and/or command nominated an officer among their ranks who arrested the highest number of DWI offenders last year.
Steve Bellone, Northport Village Officer Michale Gigante, Northport Village Chief Bill Ricca
“It is extremely important to us that motorists who are driving while intoxicated are stopped,” said Steve Bellone, Suffolk County Executive. “DWI tragedies don’t just affect those involved, they impact the families of victims as well. Suffolk County will not tolerate drunk driving on our roadways. We are committed to arresting anyone who chooses to drink and then get behind the wheel of a car, endangering the lives of others.”
Suffolk County law enforcement agencies made over 15,000 DWI arrests in the past 3 years.
The following officers were recognized as STOP-DWI top cop awardees:
SCPD 1st Pct PO Weldon Drayton, Jr.
SCPD 2nd Pct PO Joshua Parsons
SCPD 3rd Pct PO Olivia McMahon
SCPD 4th Pct PO Douglas Nassisi
SCPD 5th Pct PO Christopher Weiner
SCPD 6th Pct PO Francesco Saracino
SCPD 7th Pct PO Kevin Csoka
SCPD Highway Bureau PO Harry Jos
SCPD SAFE-T PO Roger Kleber
Northport PD PO Michale Gigante
Amity PD PO Gerald Blee
Westhampton Beach PD PO Steven Mcmanus
Quouge PD PO Robert Hammel
Southampton Village PD PO Ashley Jones
East Hampton Village PD PO Steven Niggles
Sag Harbor PD Sgt. Thomas Pagano
Riverhead PD PO Timothy Murphy
Southampton PD PO Keith Phillips
East Hampton PD PO Vincent Rantinella
Southold PD PO Garrett Lake
Shelter Island PD PO Christopher Drake
SC Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sheriff Brian Grazidei
NYS Police Trooper Ryan Delaney
The Special Traffic Options Program for Driving While Intoxicated (STOP-DWI) is a comprehensive program specifically designed to reduce the incidence of alcohol-related traffic fatalities and injuries in New York State. The program is supported by the fines collected from individuals convicted of alcohol-related traffic infractions. STOP-DWI will continue to work toward the reduction of drinking and driving in Suffolk through its support of increased enforcement, swift and certain prosecution, sound and cost effective rehabilitation, tough probation, and public information and education campaigns.
