12 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • SEPTEMBER 2020
COVER FEATURE
NASSAU, SUFFOLK POLICE UNION
About 5,000 Nassau and Suffolk county
police officers lead the way in maintaining
peace, law and order, and keeping
neighborhoods safe for nearly 3 million
residents of Long Island.
While 2020 has disrupted the lives of
most Long Islanders, times have rarely
been more difficult for members of law
enforcement. When residents were
urged to shelter in place as the coronavirus
pandemic peaked in New York
State, Nassau and Suffolk cops were on
the front line, supporting fellow first
responders. Many law enforcement
officers contracted COVID-19 and unknowingly
brought the virus home to
their family — yet continued to serve
and protect despite it all.
“The men and women in law enforcement
prioritized the safety of all over
their own safety,” said James McDermott,
president of the Nassau County
Police Benevolent Association, the
union that represents the department’s
rank-and-file patrol officers. “The
invisible enemy, which still has not let
up, was beaten back thanks in part to
all of the front-line workers, especially
the police.”
When the peak passed, officers were
lauded as heroes.
“The support lifted us up in a very
difficult time,” said Noel DiGerolamo,
president of the Suffolk County Police
Benevolent Association. “As the rest of
the country sheltered in place during
this global pandemic, our members
answered the call — this should never,
ever be forgotten by our community.”
But weeks later, after a Minneapolis police
officer allegedly murdered George
Floyd, demands for racial justice reforms
triggered what some termed a
war on police.
“Catalyzed by the actions of a few law
enforcement officers in Minneapolis,
Suffolk and Nassau have become the
subject of anti-police hate, targeting,
harassment, and interference from
demonstrations throughout the county,”
said DiGerolamo. “Rhetoric has
spilled from politicians and pundits
calling to ‘defund’ and, in some cases,
‘abolish’ the police, leading to hasty action
on police reforms that put officers
and their families at risk.”
All the while, police are still tasked
with their normal duties, which are
compounded by the complexities of the
persisting pandemic. But McDermott
and DiGerolamo have been speaking
out on behalf of law enforcement. In a
tumultuous time for law enforcement,
this is no easy task.
MEET MCDERMOTT
James McDermott is a second generation
civil servant, the son of a New York
City firefighter, and a Wantagh native.
An experienced police officer with
more than three decades on the
force, Officer McDermott began
his career in law enforcement
as many police officers on
LI did, in the New York City
Police Department.
McDermott was assigned to
patrol East New York and Bedford
Stuyvesant for the first
three years of his career, when
he made the difficult decision
to join the Nassau County Police
Department. In 1987, he began
his career in Nassau’s 5th Precinct
in the southwestern corner of the
county.
In the 5th Precinct, McDermott was
awarded the precinct’s coveted “Cop
of the Month” three times as well as
several commendations for outstanding
community outreach, building bridges,
and developing trust between the communities
and the police force.
Since he took on the role of president
of the Nassau PBA in 2017, he has been
featured in national, regional, and local
publications to share his insight on
police matters, utilizing his extensive
knowledge from his time in uniform. In
his role, he maintains constant dialogue
with his members, the community,
and elected officials to advocate for the
interest of cops. But the coronavirus
pandemic, coupled with civil unrest
and anti-police sentiment, however,
brought law enforcement
and the Nassau PBA into
uncharted territories,
with unique and
unforeseen challenges,
according to
McDermott.
“The coronavirus
pandemic brought
the front line of the
battle against the
virus into our
l i v i n g
rooms,” he said. “Cops did not know if
they were going to get it or spread it to
their families. This weighs heavy on
the minds of police officers and brings
a whole new meaning to ‘bringing work
home with you.’”
“The anti-police rhetoric being
spread by many throughout our
community is misguided to say
the least,” he continued, adding
that “after putting the health
of themselves and their families
on the line, it is cops who
should be commended, not
condemned.”
He looks to the Big Apple as a
worst case scenario.
A strong police force is good for the public and
bad for criminals,” says Noel DiGerolamo.
Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association President Noel DiGerolamo.
(Photo by Bruce Adler)
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
