President’s Message | January 4, 2023

Dear Fellow Sergeant,

Amid a challenging social and political landscape, SBA members continued to make the toughest job in the world look easy throughout the past year. Despite many elected officials across the nation turning their backs on law enforcement, we continue to perform our dangerous duties in exemplary fashion.

There have been dramatic increases in violent crime throughout New York City. On December 20, PO Orlando Adorno of the 79 Precinct was shot and wounded while attempting to arrest a career criminal for a domestic incident.

And on New Year’s Eve, in the Times Square area, POs Louis Iorio, Paul Cozzolino, and Michael Hanna were attacked by a domestic terrorist armed with a machete. All three officers were injured, with PO Cozzolino’s skull being fractured in the unprovoked assault. The suspect was shot and wounded by PO Hanna.

Over 330 police officers were shot in the line of duty in the United States last year, including 10 from the NYPD. More than 100 officers were shot in ambush-style attacks, including NYPD Dets. Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera of the 32 Precinct, who were fatally wounded by a career criminal in January 2022.

The NYPD continues to make timely arrests in nearly all violent incidents. It is not the fault of the police that the perpetrators are too often set free to commit further mayhem only hours after being arrested.

The fault lies with our feckless politicians who refuse to acknowledge the error of their ways in implementing the catastrophic changes in police and bail policies, which they masqueraded as “reforms.”

PO Adorno’s wife, Michelle, wrote a stirring online post that should be a wakeup call for all our purported leaders.

“I lived everyone’s worst nightmare today, getting the call and being picked up by a squad car [and] rushed to the hospital with lights blaring,” she wrote. “Thank God it was not worse and the unthinkable.

“All you ladies ‘get it’ to have their [significant other] put their life on the line every day,” she continued. “But nothing prepares you for that phone call. Definitely shaken but standing.”

Michelle Adorno’s words could not be more powerful or profound. All loved ones of police officers “get it,” as do most members of the public. The ones that do not “get it,” or refuse to acknowledge “it” because of their ideological agendas, are our “leaders” on the City Council and in Albany.

Especially galling is the 30 percent pay raise state legislators gave themselves in December, even as cities and municipalities throughout New York remain in shambles. What they think they did to deserve such a significant increase in salary is anyone’s guess.

The dangers we face will continue unabated in 2023. Nothing is more important than you returning safely to your homes after each tour, so please continue to be extremely vigilant in all that you do. The SBA will never waver in its commitment to serve and represent you during good times and bad.

Thank you for the tremendous effort you put forth every day in keeping the public safe, as well as for the pleasure and privilege of allowing me to serve as your President. Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and safe 2023.

Fraternally,

Vincent J. Vallelong
President
Sergeants Benevolent Association

• Category: President's Message