Alliance for Downtown New York Honors Nine Public Safety Officers for Remarkable Service

The Alliance for Downtown New York honored nine Public Safety Officers for their outstanding service and success in making Lower Manhattan one of the city's safest neighborhoods.  The ceremony, a tradition which has been upheld for 22 years, was held this morning at Bobby Van’s Grill & Steakhouse on Broad Street.

Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin presented the awards, together with SVP of Operations Ron Wolfgang and Director of Public Safety Tom Dunn.

"We're incredibly proud of the entire public safety team and the work they do for Lower Manhattan," said Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin.  "This award ceremony is one of my favorite days of the year as it gives us the opportunity to appreciate the team's work as a whole, and to also recognize the individuals who have gone above and beyond for our neighbors."

The Public Safety Officers received recognition from the Downtown Alliance for the following:

Security Officers Emmanuel Bonnaire and Ronald Washington — On March 2, Officer Bonnaire aided a women who had fallen and hit her head.  After requesting EMS, he remained on the scene with Officer Washington who both helped stem the bleeding until the woman was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital.

Security Officer Nafacia Evans — On March 5, while trying to return a missing handbag to its owner, Officer Evans came upon a woman who appeared to be sleeping in the Wall Street subway station.  Officer Evans attempted to wake the woman and discovered she was unresponsive. She had a supervisor contact 911 and the woman was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the handbag belonged to the woman Officer Evans found in the station and it was returned.

Supervisor Jaquan Brown and Security Officer Ivan Rivera — On March 22, while off duty, Supervisor Brown saw a woman get hit by a car at the intersection of Park Row and Beekman Street. He immediately notified dispatch to call 911 and had additional guards respond to the scene to help direct traffic.  Officer Rivera was one of the responders and administered first aid to the woman who complained that she couldn't feel her legs. EMS and police responded to the scene and the woman was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital.

Security Officer Jerry Marcus — On March 26, Officer Marcus was on mobile patrol when he saw a parking attendant chasing a vehicle on State Street. Upon catching up to them, Officer Marcus separated the individuals and determined that the driver had left the attendant's garage without paying.  The parking attendant said he would not press criminal charges if the fee was paid, and the driver agreed to pay.

Security Officer Jerry Marcus — On September 14, Officer Marcus was on mobile patrol when he observed a woman in her 20s acting suspiciously by the Charging Bull. As he approached, the woman ran away and he discovered that the Bull was defaced with blue paint.  He notified dispatch to call 911 and tried to keep her under observation but she fled into the subway. Officer Marcus was able to give an account of the events and the suspect to the 1st Precinct Detective Unit which helped them arrest the suspect.

Security Officers Darnell Joseph and Nathaniel Turner, and Supervisor Turhan White — On Tuesday, October 31, Officer Joseph was informed by a local security guard that a man was breaking windows of NYPD patrol cars parked nearby. Officer Joseph notified dispatch who called 911 and alerted members of the NYPD Scooter Task Force. He observed the man and proceeded to follow him with Officer Turner who had been flagged down and informed of the incident by a pedestrian. Supervisor White also responded to the scene and was able to keep the man under observation. When police arrived, the officers were able to identify the man and he was arrested for Felony Criminal Mischief.

Criminal activity in Lower Manhattan has dropped considerably since the Downtown Alliance and NYPD began working together over a decade ago. Today we employ a team of nearly 60 public safety officers who work closely with New York City Police Department’s Manhattan South Task Force to keep the neighborhood safe.  In addition, these proud men and women also help locals and visitors alike with general information, directions and personal recommendations on how to best experience Lower Manhattan.

This year's awards ceremony was hosted by our partners Allied Universal, a leading provider of security services.