Downtown Alliance Honors 10 Public Safety Officers

06/06/2014
Downtown Alliance Honors 10 Public Safety Officers

Ten Downtown Alliance Public Safety Officers were honored at a ceremony on Thursday, at The Ketch on Pearl Street, for actions ranging from reuniting a lost child with his family to locating and helping remove a suspicious device from the neighborhood. 

The Alliance’s public safety officers, known for their bright red uniforms, are the eyes and ears of the New York City Police Department’s First Precinct, which has a substation in the Downtown Alliance’s Public Safety Office. The officers can also be seen handing out maps, providing recommendations on local attractions and helping tourists navigate the area.

“The public safety team is the face of the Downtown Alliance, and they perform an absolutely vital service that makes Lower Manhattan safer and more enjoyable for everyone,” said Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin. “I thank all 10 of these men and women, and the whole staff, for everything they do for the residents, workers and tourists in Lower Manhattan.”

“The colleagues we celebrate today are the pride of the organization,” said Downtown Alliance Board President Robert Douglass. “What they do truly helps Lower Manhattan stand out among the neighborhoods of New York City.”

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

March 18, 2013 – Security Officer Antonio Fattorusso came to the aid of a woman who had been struck by a vehicle as she crossed Trinity Place at Rector Street. Officer Fattorusso notified distpatch, which notified 911, and then remained by the woman’s side until EMS workers arrived to ca re for her.

April 11, 2013 – Security Officer James Paige came upon a man who had fallen on the sidewalk in front of 65 Broadway and was bleeding heavily from his face. Officer Paige administered first aid by applying ice to the injury and stayed until EMS workers could take the man to the hospital.

July 23, 2013 – Supervisor Denise Blackwell was conducting a public safety survey when she noticed a suspicious device in an outdoor telephone booth on Broadway at Wall Street. The device was a small black box wrapped in plastic with an antenna. She notified dispatch, which contacted the NYPD. Several streets were closed while the NYPD responded and removed the device without incident. 

August 17, 2013– Security Officer Lyudmila Melnik and Security Officer Christopher Olivo worked together to help apprehend a vandal. Officer Melnik saw a woman spray graffiti paint on a door on Wall Street and also on the entrance to the #2 and #3 subway stations. She notified dispatch to call 911, while Officer Olivo, along with an NYPD officer, arrived on the scene. Officer Melnik was able to identify the woman, who was arrested.

October 14, 2013 – Supervisor Rosa Ellis, Security Officer Luis Soto, Security Officer Sylenya Price, Security Officer Paul Lapera and Security Officer Steven Maldonado worked together to reunite a lost autistic boy with his family. The boy’s mother contacted Officer Price and said she had become separated from her son when the doors of the #4 train closed with him still on board. Price notified dispatch with a description of the boy. Officers Lapera and Maldonado searched the area, while Officer Soto biked to the next station on that train, where he found a boy who fit the description of the missing child.

View photos from the event held at the Ketch on Pearl Street on the Downtown Alliance’s Flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/downtownny/albums/72157643020775323.