Michael Vickery named Rockville Centre 'Cop of the Month'

Officer Matthew Vickery was named "Cop of the Month" by the Rockville Centre Police Department for alert police work that led to an arrest on multiple weapons and drug charges.

Officer Vickery, on routine patrol Feb. 28 at about 3 p.m., stopped a vehicle near Merrick Road and Morris Avenue for having a broken windshield. When the operator of the vehicle could not produce a valid driver’s license, Officer Vickery performed a computer check and discovered that the operator had a suspended license, including a revocation for a prior driving while intoxicated offense.

While placing the operator of the vehicle under arrest, Officer Vickery found two small bags of cocaine, one small bag of marijuana and a quantity of the controlled substances hydrocodone and fentanyl in the driver’s pants pocket. Searching further, Officer Vickery recovered a machete from between the front seats, metal knuckles and a large fixed-blade knife from under the driver's seat, as well as a loaded gun.

The driver was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle with a broken windshield.

Police Commissioner Chuck Gennario commended Officer Vickery for his "diligence, dedication to duty and highly professional conduct" in naming him Cop of the Month for February.

Officer Vickery who joined the department in January 2008, had been an officer in the New York City Police Department. His father, Officer Michael Vickery, has been a member of the Rockville Centre Police Department since 1977. Father and son work different tours of duty.