Thank You NYPD for Keeping Us Safe
December 12, 2011
Around Town – By Neal Tepel
Tragically Officer Figoski – a 22 year veteran of the NYPD – was shot in the face with an illegal, semiautomatic weapon by a career criminal, and died. In 1989, the year Officer Figoski joined the NYPD, the year ended with more than 1,900 murders in the Five Boroughs. The next year, 1990, the City saw its most homicides ever, more than 2,200.
Because of Figoski’s sacrifice and the thousands of other men and women in the NYPD ranks, New York City has gone from one of the nation’s most dangerous large cities to the nation’s safest. This year, because of those 'on the job' each day, there were less than 500 murders.
This tragedy is a reminder of the danger that our men and women in law enforcement face every single day to keep us safe. Unfortunately the job of police officer has become more dangerous with thousands of illegal guns on the street.
Our nation’s threat from the weapons that end up as illegal guns on the streets of our communities continue to kill and maim. Its shocking that our elected officials in Washington have not addressed this issue.
This story was repeated for Police Officer Russell Tomishenko, who was shot and died in a Brooklyn car stop in July of 2007. It was true for the fatal shooting of Auxiliary Officers Nicholas Pekaro and Eugene Marshalik in Greenwich Village in March 2007. For Dillon Steward in Brooklyn in November of 2005. For Detectives Robert Parker and Patrick Rafferty in Brooklyn in September of 2004. For Detectives James Nemorin and Robert Andrews, who were executed in an undercover buy and bust operation on Staten Island in March of 2003.
