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Deputy Adrienne Dispenza Ulster County Sheriff's Office – New York
On April 11, 2007, Ulster County Deputy Adrienne Dispenza was dispatched to a nearby town in response to a subject who had been assaulted with a knife. Dispenza was informed by the dispatcher that the alleged perpetrator was still on the scene. When she arrived, the deputy was waved down by the victim. “He was pointing at a white van parked in the driveway,” Dispenza said in her report. “He (the victim) said the (perpetrator) was in the van.” Dispenza blocked the van with her patrol car by parking approximately 10 to 15 feet away. She retrieved a rifle from the back of her unit about the time the perpetrator exited from the van. The deputy ordered the male to the ground. The subject assumed the prone crucifix position for 10 to 15 seconds, then, he got back up. “I pulled out my pepper spray and deployed it directly into the perp’s face. It only stunned him and temporarily distracted him. He attempted to get back in the van while wiping his face. I peppered him again, he got into the van, and I attempted to stop him by repeatedly kicking the door onto his left leg. He started the van and put it in reverse. I jumped out of the way because the door flew open. The subject accelerated the engine and moved in reverse striking the patrol unit. He then went forward across the driveway and struck a large tree,” Dispenza said. “He then attempted to get back up, and I kept deploying pepper spray and kicking him down until Kingston Police Officers Boughton and Smith came up the embankment and placed the perp into custody,” she said. “Adrienne is all of about five feet tall and maybe 100 pounds. However, she’s a lot bigger than her stature,” said Ulster County Deputy Stu McKenzie who nominated Deputy Dispenza for recognition by the USDSA. As a result of her actions, Deputy Dispenza was awarded the Citation of Commendation by the United States Deputy Sheriffs’ Association. “It is always one of my favorite duties as executive director of the USDSA to award and recognize the men and women of law enforcement who receive too little appreciation,” said Steve Van Dyke. “My sincerest congratulations to Deputy Dispenza.” Maryland Drug Task Force Honored Garrett County Narcotics Task Force– Maryland
The Garrett County Narcotics Task Force (GCNTF) is a joint operation working in rural Garrett County, Maryland. The task force is a cooperative unit staffed with four deputies from the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office and two troopers from the Maryland State Police. “The dedicated efforts put forth daily by the members of this unit are worthy of recognition,” wrote Garrett County Corporal and task force member Robert Zimmerman. “The GCNTF is a major deterrent of illicit and illegal drugs coming into and through Garrett County. The members of this unit not only investigate drug cases in Garrett County, they also contribute to the regional drug interdiction efforts by assisting law enforcement officers in the surrounding counties in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. In addition, members are always working to make Garrett County a safe place to live and raise a family. On their own time, they are active in community events, speaking to local youth, assisting at school functions, coaching youth athletics, and participating in church activities,” explained Zimmerman. During 2005, the GCNTF conducted 220 investigations that resulted in 203 arrests, and executed 32 search and seizure warrants. The GCNTF led all narcotics units in Maryland in misdemeanor and juvenile arrests. The task force ranked 2nd in Maryland for controlled dangerous substance arrests and adult narcotic arrests. In 2006, the GCNTF continued to set the standard across the state. The unit conducted 274 investigations and executed 36 search and seizure warrants. During a five-day period in July and August of last year, the task force along with other local uniform law enforcement officers conducted an interstate traffic/criminal interdiction effort along I-68 that resulted in 64 arrests and seizures marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, vehicles and cash. “Their dedication, initiative, and hard work resulted in the GCNTF again leading the way. Last year, the GCNTF led the Western Region Task Forces for Maryland in misdemeanor and juvenile arrests. The task force ranked 2nd in the region for controlled substance arrests and adult narcotic arrests,” according to Zimmerman. For their accomplishments and dedication to duty, Zimmerman, Garrett County Detectives David McLaughlin, David Teets, and Eric Geroski, and Maryland State Troopers Sergeant Charles Goldstrom and Corporal Brian Broadwater were awarded the USDSA Citation of Commendation Medal. “My congratulations to Corporal Zimmerman and the rest of the Garrett County Narcotics Task Force on a job well done,” said USDSA Executive Director Steve Van Dyke. “It was a great honor for the USDSA to honor these dedicated law enforcement professionals.” New York Deputies "Sting" Child Pornographer
Approximately two years ago, Ulster County, New York Deputy Stu McKenzie was assigned a registered sex offender parolee by the name of Eugene Grecco. According to Mckenzie, Grecco liked to “watch horrible things being done to 6 to 12 year old boys and girls.” When Grecco was released from prison, he moved back to Ulster County. Over the course of the ne “I finally got him to admit that he had two residences, a violation of his release conditions,” he said. “Not long after, he was arrested on a Failure to Appear warrant during a traffic stop. In the car with him and his girlfriend was his girlfriend’s 13 year-old child, another violation of his release conditions. He was returned to my agency on warrant and was charged with a parole violation. However, the judge placed him in jail on $300 bond. He was back out on the street before I finished writing my report,” the veteran deputy said. Determined to put a felon back behind bars, McKenzie talked Grecco’s mother into giving a deposition as to where her son was actually living, which wasn’t with her. “I thought I had him this time,” McKenzie said. But at the trial, the judge, according to McKenzie, “agrees to correct a paperwork error” and extends his probation nine months. “The guy then moves to Sullivan County and is removed from my assignment roster. I made notification to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. That’s about all I could do,” McKenzie said. In September, McKenzie was reading the paper when he recognized a face in one of the stories. “It was Grecco, and he was in the custody of a Sullivan County Deputy Sheriff. He had been arrested and charged with 100 counts of Possession of Child Pornography,” an elated McKenzie later told The Deputy Sheriff Magazine. The investigators found Grecco posing in a chat room as a 14-year old boy. He was looking for dates and exchanging porn pictures of kids on the Internet. McKenzie said officers worked the case for about six weeks before they had enough evidence to secure a warrant and make an arrest. Grecco is not only facing state charges, but federal charges as well because he used a computer to commit the offenses. “Thank Heavens there are still good cops and judges that remember they are here to serve their communities,” McKenzie said. Due to their actions, Sullivan County Deputies Percy Ramos, Ed Clouse, Amanda Cox, Rich Morgan and Phil Stewart, along with Detectives Jason Gorr, Ed Simon, and Don Starner, the United States Deputy Sheriffs’ Association awarded each individual with a Citation of Commendation medal. “Child predators are about the lowest form of existence that I can think of,” said U.S.D.S.A. Executive Director Steve Van Dyke during an awards presentation ceremony at the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. “On behalf of the U.S.D.S.A., I want to extend my congratulations and thanks to these dedicated people for removing a cancer from the body of society. Members of the law enforcement community all over this nation are very proud of you.” Murder/Robbery Suspects Given a Combined 60 Years to Life Orange County Investigators Shawn Ost, Paul Monahan, and Sgt. Richard Denehy forwarded information to Orange County Assistant District Attorney David Hoovler and other law enforcement officers in relation to an open homicide case in Orange County. The investigators obtained the information from an inmate in the spring of last year. “I am writing to you to formally express my appreciation and bring to your attention the actions of your investigators,” Hoovler wrote in a letter of recommendation to Orange County Sheriff Carl Dubois. “Within hours of the information being forwarded to me, investigative steps were taken that assisted in obtaining useful statements in the homicide prosecution.” The information provided by the investigators helped result in the arrests and convictions of: “The information reached me in a prompt and timely manner,” Hoovler continued in his letter to Sheriff Dubois. “Please pass along my sincere thanks to these investigators and let them know their efforts were very useful and helpful in the investigation into a violent homicide.” For their actions, Investigator Ost, Investigator Monahan and Sgt. Denehy were each awarded the United States Deputy Sheriffs’ Associations’ Medal of Commendation. “It is always a pleasure for the U.S.D.S.A. to recognize and award deserving law enforcement officers for a job well done,” said U.S.D.S.A. Executive Director Steve Van Dyke. “With the help of these investigators, three violent criminals are behind bars where they belong.” U.S.D.S.A. MEMBER RECOGNIZED BY
Cherokee County, Georgia Deputy and United States Deputy Sheriffs’ Association member Patrick Neal was recently honored as one of America’s “Top Cops” by the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) during the TOP COPS Awards ceremony held in October at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C. The awards are sponsored annually by NAPO, which represents over 260,000 sworn law enforcement officers through 2,000 police unions and associations nationwide. The TOP COPS Awards pay tribute to law enforcement officers from across the country for outstanding service to their communities during the preceding year. The TOP COPS are nominated by fellow officers and selected from hundreds of nominations by an independent awards committee. Officers from the top ten cases were chosen as the 2005 NAPO TOP COPS. Deputy Neal’s case was honored as one of the top ten. On August 10, 2004, Deputy Neal was assisting in a traffic stop when he heard on his radio that a wanted felon had been spotted in nearby Woodstock. The suspect had committed several violations of a restraining order placed against him by his ex-wife, and he had charges pending against him for stalking and robbery. As Neal pulled into a small cul-de-sac where the suspect lived, Neal saw the subject standing by the passenger side of his red truck. The suspect immediately ran to the driver’s side door, wrenched it open, and began rooting around in the cab. Deputy Neal parked in front of the suspect’s truck, got out, and began telling the suspect to leave the truck and move towards the patrol car. When the suspect did not respond and continued to search in the front of his cab, Neal drew his weapon and began moving around his car to get a clear view of what the suspect was doing. At that point, the suspect withdrew from the cab and opened fire on the deputy standing less than five feet away. “He hit me in the chest and the face, knocking my glasses off making it difficult for me to see him clearly,” Neal told The Deputy Sheriff Magazine. “We continued to exchange gunfire with each other and he hit me once more in the chest and the leg and I shot him a couple of times as he retreated back behind the front door of his truck. I shot several rounds through his car door hitting him a couple more times. He then got up and began moving down the side of his truck away from me and I was moving towards the rear of my patrol car. We continued to shoot at each other and he hit me a fifth time, the third round in the chest. I hit him one more time after that. He finally fell to the ground and I moved around to the front of my patrol car and had to reload. I had fired 15 rounds by that time. He then leaned forward and tried to pick his pistol up. That’s when I shot him in the face and killed him.” In total, Neal was hit five times – three times in the chest, once in the right thigh, and once in the face. In addition to being recognized by NAPO for his extraordinary actions, Deputy Neal was also awarded the Citation of Bravery by the United States Deputy Sheriffs’ Association.
“Speaking for the U.S.D.S.A., we are very proud to have men and women like Patrick as members of our organization.” Including Deputy Neal, 18 officers received awards as TOP COPS. 32 other officers representing 16 states received honorable mentions. Several television actors representing such network dramas as “Law & Order” and “Third Watch” served as award presenters. John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted was the Master of Ceremonies.
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| Nominations may be submitted via an U.S.D.S.A. Law Enforcement Recognition Program nomination form. The forms can be found in The Deputy Sheriff Magazine, upon request from the U.S.D.S.A. or through the link provided below. Self-nomination is permitted. As with all of the U.S.D.S.A.’s programs, there is no charge to nominate someone for an award, or to receive the award.
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xt several months, McKenzie (pictured far left) kept a close watch on the convicted felon to make sure that Grecco was following the conditions of his release. As a registered sex offender, Grecco had to notify the law enforcement agency of jurisdiction (Ulster County) of any home address or employment address changes. Grecco had registered his mother’s address as his home address. However, McKenzie found out that wasn’t the case.
“Not only is Patrick Neal a first class law enforcement officer, he is also a first class individual. You do not have to be around Patrick very long to know what kind of a person he is,” said U.S.D.S.A. Deputy Director Jim Bob Conner