During an awards ceremony at the Town of Hempstead Pavilion Sept. 18, Town Supervisor Rich Guardino applauded the efforts of county and village police officers and detectives, including Detective Joseph Monahan of the Floral Park Police Department, and the entire Malverne Police Department for their recovery efforts during the aftermath of September 11, 2001.

The ceremony, originally intended to be held last year at this time but was cancelled due to the terrorist attacks, became especially meaningful last month since so many officers exemplified themselves as national heroes during rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center. The honorees have also distinguished themselves in their everyday routines in the local communities they serve to protect.

On Feb. 14 of last year Detective Monahan, while on patrol in Floral Park, observed a suspicious man closely following an unaccompanied woman who was walking along Plainfield Avenue. Concerned with the situation, he stopped his vehicle and identified himself to the woman. Much relieved, the woman confided to Detective Monahan that the man had been following her for a while and she feared for her safety.

The detective then approached the man who immediately fled. After a quarter mile chase, Detective Monahan apprehended the suspect, placed him under arrest and upon a hand search discovered two plastic knives, a plastic gun and a ski mask. A subsequent investigation discovered the man was involved in an attempted robbery of another woman only an hour before his arrest by Detective Monahan. While in custody the suspect was determined to have committed numerous robberies in other communities.

In recognition of his keen intuition, his sharp observation and his skillful investigative methods and for his efforts to remove a dangerous man from local streets, the Town of Hempstead proudly presented Detective Monahan with a 2002 Police Service Award.

"We live and raise our families here because, among other reasons, we feel safe in our homes and on our streets," Guardino said. "Today's police officers are vital members of our communities who get to know the shop owners, the residents and the children who live and work there.

"They work in pleasant environments of youth outreach and community enrichment programs and they face the dangers and difficulties associated with the fight against crime. They intervene in cases of domestic abuse and they deal with the realities of robberies, drugs, fights and fatalities and they perform brilliantly," he said.

Guardino further noted that the conscientious effort to involve officers in school programs and athletic leagues has helped maintain a lack of youth violence in local communities when compared to other major suburban areas. "I don't believe that it is solely good fortune that we have been spared incidents of gun violence and death in our classrooms," he said. "Youngsters learn to respect police and the laws we live by. They learn to feel comfortable with the officers in their community and they learn that they can rely upon them. This is a lesson that our children carry with them to adulthood."

During the ceremony, Nassau County Police Chaplain Reverend James G. Anderson offered an invocation. Also present for the ceremony were local elected officials and dignitaries, including chiefs, deputy chiefs, commissioners and officers of various police departments, squads and precincts, including Floral Park Police Commissioner Mike Reid.

"In the wake of September 11, we are reminded of the grave situations that can confront our uniformed officers on any given day. They put their lives on the line pursuing criminal activities, they maintain order and facilitate rescues in tragic crises and they run programs, such as the Police Athletic League, that enhance our quality of life and give our children the uniquely positive influence that our law enforcement professionals offer.

"Police officers in our towns and villages make significant sacrifices every day to ensure our safety and maintain our peaceful suburban way of life," Guardino, who described recipients as the "heroes next door," said.