O'Connor named Rockville Centre 'Cop of the Month'

Rockville Centre Police officer Christopher O’Connor was named December “Cop of the Month” by Commissioner Charles Gennario.

O’Connor responded to a call on Nov. 4, when a disturbance at a Burtis Avenue home was reported. He recognized the address as a location where a Dominican’s Don’t Play (DDP) Rockville Centre gang member resided, and his unit was the first to arrive.

Assisted by his partner, he stopped three alleged perpetrators at the scene — one of whom was armed with a motorcycle chain — and radioed descriptions of the other suspects to police headquarters and arriving police units.

Within a short time, all of the suspects were found with weapons including a gun, a police baton, a motorcycle chain and a mace. O’Connor also interviewed a victim of the alleged attack, learning that the perpetrators arrested were members of the Trinitarios, a violent gang known for its use of machetes. The individuals all live in Freeport and are known to be rivals of the Rockville Centre DDP gang, leading police to continue their investigation.