Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-July 27, 2011 Issue

Area July 27, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 13 Police ofﬁcers, dispatchers receive commendations by John Koster The Wyckoff Township Committee and residents gave standing ovations to the four Wyckoff police officers, three police dispatchers, and absent officers from other towns who foiled a violent robbery of Hartgers Jewelers in April. Wyckoff Sergeant Jack McEwan, Patrolman Thomas Tully, Patrol Officer Brenda Grosslinger, and Patrolman Ryan Tenney were given Exceptional Duty medals and letters of commendation for their direct confrontation with the fleeing felons, thought at the time to possibly be armed and known to have pysically assaulted staff and patrons at Hartgers. Dispatchers Matthew Fenkhart, Richard Carruthers, and Diane Fewkes, who coordinated the chase by Wyckoff and outside officers from police headquarters, also received letters of commendation in the action, which had all four offenders in custody shortly after they smashed the display cases, roughed up the staff and patrons, and fled. Chief Fox and the township committee also approved letters of commendation for six Wyckoff officers who responded to the incident and provided backup, interrogation, and transportation to Bergen County Jail for the four suspects. Those officers included Lieutenant David Murphy, Sergeant Daniel Kellogg, Detective Sergeant Joseph Soto, Sergeant Michael Ragucci, Patrolman Peter Goodman, and Detective Michael Musto. The dispatchers rated a standing ovation, as did the officers who provided back-up and the out-of-town officers from Ridgewood, Midland Park, Franklin Lakes, Mahwah, Hawthorne, Glen Rock, and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department. “The community owes a debt of gratitude to every officer who participated in this arrest,” said Chief Fox. “After the report of the robbery, the suspects were captured and stolen property was recovered in less than 15 minutes. The efforts (continued on page 14) Police ofﬁcers Ryan Tenney, Brenda Grosslinger, Thomas Tully and Sergeant Jack McEwan at the ceremony where the ofﬁcers received Exceptional Duty Medals and letters of commendation. �� BEST NURSERY ��