Commendations

This is something I've always hid away on a shelf till just here resently. I took photos of them and am posting them on my site after 40 years. I received many commendations over my years spent on the streets of Utica, but I only have 2 on paper like these two. My other commendations came in the form of days off given to me by my Captain Bill Williams. He knew submitting the good work we did for a Commendation to be issued on paper would often be fruitless due to the politics in those days, so he made executive decisions and rewarded good work service by giving us the day off. Which one would you like to have ? Having both is sort of good but sort of sad. The most notable Day Off Commendation was arresting a burgular taken into custody red handed inside the building and learning thereafter that he had committed murder just a couple of hours before the burgulary. Not the one seen here.

Early Days Of My Career

 

This was my first prowl car assignment. Car 50 was the West-Side accident car covering everything west of Genesee St. to investigate MVA-Medical emergencies or rescues. It had specialized equipment other zone cars did not. 

Seen a lot of tragedy and saved a lot of lives, many times when we found them bleeding out.

Often still today recall the many incidents the job showed me and wish to do them again all over.

Biggest Case I Worked On

 
That's me on the left 

The 1972 Murder of JoAnne Pechone most impacted my career.  I still even here today think about this horrific crime committed in dead of winter in Utica. The above photo taken at the scene of the murder depicts the search unit assembled to scour every inch of the area.  That's me on the left along with Lieutenant HankLaflair with open jacket in the middle leading the efforts and Lieutenant Dennis Phillipkowski on the right. We had a couple of eyeball witnesses of the suspect leaving the scene and a composite was made. We also had the description of the vehicle the suspect left in. That was all we had to go on but it was enough to keep up busy in the days and weeks months and years to come.  The city of Utica was literally turned upside down by police without any objection from the public who understood we were looking for a killer. 

This case was solved in 2012 years after the fact. The story of how it was solved can be found if you google "JoAnne Pecheone Murder solved".  The OD published the district attorney's findings as did WKTV posted a video of the investigation. 

note; 

typically the story written by the OD says that the murder took place on a "Blustery Afternoon In January".  Fact of the matter was that it was an "Indian Summer day and really mild" which explains why JoAnne was walking to her home in far east Utica from Genesee St.   You need to read with caution everything the OD prints.  

https://youtu.be/WFZegPO3Dnc This link will reveal the District Attorney's Office investigation which lead to John Hopkins as the person who committed this crime. I have several questions concerning evidence I suppose will never be answwered. The main question I have and the one most likely to convince me of Hopkins guilt, is the BF Goodrich boot prints left at the scene. The pressreport.com website mentions this and I guess I never heard this till I read about it there. If in fact this is true I wonder how they were able to match those boots and how they even got the boots after so many years had passed. I'd really like to hear about that. but doubt I ever will. There is plenty of reasons to go back and forth surrounding who exactly committed this crime. Yet another case of "It depends on who you talk to". Was it Hopkins, or was it Garrow? Another question on the car that Robert Garrow traded-in at a Syracuse car lot; ironically the same day of Murder. The DNA recovered on Pecheone's clothing could not be conclusively identified as belonging to Hopkins but, neither could it be ruled out. If ever a conondrum exsisted this is certainly is King.

Retired Police Utica, New York 1967-1988

 The memories of that era of my life are a constant source of joy for me.
I'm often reminded when I travel through the City of incidents that took place at any given location.
I also marvel some times at the changes that have occurred, empty lot's where buildings use to be, homes torn down and new buildings erected.
One regret I have is not having taken more pictures.

Who was to know we would wind up here today with an internet and a place to share them all. Oh well.
I remember also when I was still on the job and would meet "old-time officers" and how I would think to myself, "Wow, I'll never be that old. Funny how now I'm the old-time guy.
The technology that is available today, for instance, is amazing to me. Computers in the prowl cars and cell phones in the pockets of the Officers. Tasers, body cams, GPS trackers, and a multitude of other tools.
A little story, at one time when we were collective as the PBA trying to get cars with air conditioning we heard back from a Deputy Chief that he was against air conditioning because then we would be driving around with the windows up and would not be able to hear someone calling for help.
Hard to believe, but a true story never the less.
I can remember walking foot patrol from the station to Oneida Square and back with nothing to communicate with but a call box key to a box with a direct line to the fire department where you would ask to be switched to the police station. But that was 50 years ago now. Time gone but not forgotten. We had bulletproof vests the last couple of years and we did get handheld radios and new semi-auto handguns and mace, but that was pretty much it.
I wonder what kind of equipment the next generation of Police will have and how much it will change operations and procedures for the men and women working the streets to keep law and order.
I often pray for the safety of present-day officers and hope that they will always be given the ability and training/equipment to effectively do their jobs. That the criminals they encounter will not be able to resist or overcome efforts to take them into custody. May the best leaders and the best training/equipment always be available to keep our Police safe. Amen!

Post Job Retirement

I can't speak for all of the retiree's but, I can let my voice be heard regarding what it's like to be out here in the retirement pasture after spending 20 years on the job. I realize that many retiree's have given more years past the required 20 in the Police Service and I for one commend them for it and hope that you are now enjoying the years of your retirement following your service to our community as I am.

Looking back I can only say that the years I spent on the job were some of the most memorable years of my life.

By the time I had reached a decision to retire I was fully trained and fully saturated with blue blood actually running through my veins. I knew that the time had come for me to leave and I remember vividly some of the thought processes that occurred during that time.
In looking back now the one thing that did I not realize at that time was just how much of an impact the job had left on me.
I did not consider what being a Police Officer and spending that amount of time, energy and thought poured into the Department and into Police service had really meant. It had left an indelible mark , one that even now here, years later, still exists in one way or the other.
Once you put the badge on, it never comes off, whether people see it, or not. It fuses it self to the soul. It happens through adversity, fear and the gallons of adrenaline that has been pumped through you. No one who has ever worn it with pride, can ever get through the day or the night and not feel the unmistakable hold it has on you.

I still have a pen and pad close by as I travel out and about and have on several occasions written down plate numbers where something didn't seem just right for later reference. I have been known to go around the block after passing by a traffic stop, just in case something goes wrong.
I can tell you there have been times when I have rescued stranded motorists and recalled that old feeling once again. This past winter I came upon a van stuck in a deep snow bank while inching through a whiteout on Cider Street near the end of the Airport runway. Its an area known for whiteouts during snow storms. No telling what would have happened there that day had I not just happened by, and had the where with all to stop and see if the car was occupied; it was, and after notifying the Sheriff's office I was able to pull the van out which was stuck in a huge snow drift in the middle of a whiteout. I attribute that sort of action to the many times I was placed in dangerous situations throughout my years of Police Service.

To this day I am still known through out the places I travel in our community as a retired Utica Cop. I have been introduced that way on numerous occasions without any prompting what so ever on my part. I must be honest and confess I don't mind and in fact when that happens I feel proud.

I pay close attention to what I see in the newspaper and other media sources. My ears perk up at the mere mention of police, especially Utica Police. I'm amazed at hearing the names of Officers now serving and remember how at one time I personally knew 175 and now only recognize a handful.

My best advice to those contemplating retirement is this. Be sure you are ready to give up an identity you held for many years. If your healthy and still enjoy your working hours and feel able to do the job then by all means don't give it up.

A lot is given up when you retire. You lose contact with fellow officers you assumed you would have contact with for the rest of your life. You lose your civilian contacts through out the community and your informants when you no longer wear a badge. The so called friends and acquaintances you were so familiar with go away never to return until you bump into them while out shopping. So a lot changes when you retire. Be aware of that.

My deepest appreciation and sincerest thanks go out to all Police Officers everywhere, we need them.

I pray that all Police Officers and especially Utica Police Officers will be protected and kept safe as they carry out their duties. Remember you young un's that some day you will be out here just as we are now. I hope when you meet a retired Police Officer you remember that we are on your side, all the way and that you have a retired friend who understands what it's like being on the job.

Snowstorm Rescue

Is it alright if I tell what happened back in the winter of 2005? If so then read on and if not then you can forever wonder what happened that day on Cider Street near the end of the old Oneida County Airport. And, that's fine.
The area involved is a part of road I had navigated in the past many times. A part that was notorious for whiteouts on blustery windy days. 

On this one particular day as I was inching my way through the whiteout and hoping that I would not meet another car traveling in the opposite direction; especially one going so fast that neither one of us would be able to stop in time to avoid hitting one another.
After being inside the whiteout where visibility was at best 5-10 feet for a few seconds, I came upon a Dodge van stopped off to the right of my truck. Approaching the vehicle I was curious if anyone was inside and when I stopped to look sure enough as I pulled up along side I could see a Lady sitting behind the steering wheel. 

I pulled ahead and to the right as far as possible and went back to talk with her. She told me she was stuck and unable to move. I told her that I would try to pull her out and proceeded to hook up a 20 foot chain I carried in my truck. I attached a loop around my tow ball and hooked the chain, then hooked the other end underneath the front end of her vehicle. I then instructed her not to do anything and just let me pull her till we were both out of the whiteout.  I told her to just sit tight and that I would unhook our vehicles. 

She did a very good job of remaining calm and I was able to tow her outside the whiteout where we could see again. I unhooked our two vehicles and told her to have a good day. She followed me along cider street and finally turned off onto Mill street in Westmoreland. That day I felt like someone's rescuer and I was happy that I was able to be in the right place at the right time. Thank you Jesus. 

Freight Train Wreck Union Station September 1972

Working a 4-12 in Sept of 1972 in Car 77 with Dennis Phillipkowski.  We were down at the Train Station waiting for the 5 o'clock traffic to clear up.  A train rolling through at a pretty good clip derailed and we were like in shock at first watching the box cars come off the tracks.  We just simply reported it over the car radio and and waited for it all to settle.  No one was injured and no real damage done besides the boxcars themselves and the tracks.  Quite a train block for a few days till it was all cleaned up.  Awesome sight watching the boxcars tumble.
Those days we had no cameras and it's sad because there really is no record of the event.