Even though the West New York Police Department activated their entire police force after the attack on the World Trade Center Sept. 11, only one officer could be named Officer of the Month for September. Deputy Chief Thomas O’Donnell, the operational commander on that day, received the award for coordinating the efforts of the officers that day.
O’Donnell said that more than 100 off-duty police officers came to work that day, and that they all deserved the award.
"I accept this honor truly as a representative of every member of the department," said O’Donnell. "Each officer who worked on Sept. 11 deserves to be officer of the month for the effort they made on Sept. 11."
The Officer of the Month award was started within the West New York Police Department in April to help improve morale in the department and recognize individual officers for their efforts.
"We started this program to bring the recognition factor to the department that it rightfully deserves," said West New York Police Director Joseph Pelliccio after selecting the first officer in April.
First response
The town set up three command posts on Sept. 11; one at police headquarters, one on 56th Street and Boulevard East and the other at 6050 Boulevard East.
These command posts divided the town into north and south, with 60th Street and above under the leadership of Captain Antillos and below 60th Street under the leadership of Captain John Santa Maria.
O’Donnell said that the department used the same system of dividing the town used during the OpSail 2000 Fourth of July celebration.
"This was a perfect opportunity for us to reinstate a program we used before," said O’Donnell.
Every member of the department had been trained in the incident command system, which is a national emergency response system, before OpSail 2000 as well.
"That training prepared us very well for this type of incident," said O’Donnell.
O’Donnell said that officers were also sent to the New York Waterways ferry terminal in Weehawken to assist the Weehawken police officers with the evacuation efforts as well as sending six officers to work with the Port Authority Police Department. The six officers assigned to the Port Authority were responsible for controlling the Lincoln Tunnel.
However, while the police department was working on evacuation efforts, West New York still had to maintain its normal duties.
"Our first priority was to secure West New York," said O’Donnell, explaining that the officers still responded to calls for service that did not involve the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
O’Donnell said that the department also received administrative support from Public Safety Commissioner Sal Vega, West New York Mayor Albio Sires, Business Administrator Richard Turner and Pelliccio.
As officer of the month, O’Donnell’s picture and a citation explaining why he was chosen will hang in the lobby of the police department. O’Donnell’s name will also be placed on the theme plaque that will also hang in the lobby, which has the names of all past winners and will have the names of the future winners of the award as well.
O’Donnell also received a $50 gift certificate to his favorite restaurant and is now eligible for the officer of the year award that will be chosen in May.