At the last Village of Roslyn public meeting, various county and village officials honored Roslyn Heights resident Henry Krukowski as its "fireman of the year." Continuing in the tradition of top-rate public service in the village, Police Officer Denis Jiannarus, who patrols the streets of Roslyn, was honored at the Dec. 19 meeting as Nassau County's "top cop" for the year 2000. In fact, Dec. 19 itself was officially proclaimed to be "Denis Jiannarus Day" in the Village of Roslyn.

Officer Jiannarus, who serves on the radar safety patrol in the village, received proclamations and citations from not only Roslyn, but also from the offices of Gov. George Pataki, Nassau County Supervisor Thomas S. Gulotta, Rep. Gary L. Ackerman, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor May Newburger, State Assemblymen Thomas DiNapoli and David Sidikman, and State Senator Michael Balboni.

The village's proclamation praised Officer Jiannarus for "working diligently on behalf of the village," while "assisting all segments of the population" and having a "profound and beneficial impact on the lives of many individuals of the community." Officer Jiannarus was also honored with his name on a plaque that will hang in the village hall.

In addition to the citations from politicians, Officer Jiannarus received his "Officer of the Year" award from George Marsh, chief inspector for the Sixth Precinct. Officer Marsh thanked his fellow policemen for "making me look good." Noting that Roslyn Mayor Janet Galante's term is drawing to a close, Officer Marsh also thanked the mayor for being "most supportive" of police department personnel who work in the village.

Upon receiving his many awards, Officer Jiannarus thanked his fellow officers who have assisted him in making arrests and convictions, while often working under difficult and time-consuming conditions. He also noted that there have been very few road fatalities in Roslyn during the past five years, a situation that he hopes to maintain in the coming years.

Officer Jiannarus is a 1987 graduate of Northern Michigan University. He served in the New York City Police Department from 1990-1993, before going to work as a policeman in Nassau County. In November 1999, Officer Jiannarus was named "Officer of the Month" for the Nassau County Police Department. He was cited for his arrests in robbery and sexual abuse incidents.