Every year, we honor National Police Week to offer our respect and gratitude to our fallen law
enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in serving and protecting our communities.
In doing so, we are reminded that a career in law enforcement is an inherently dangerous
calling, but also one that plays a vital role far above and beyond the basics of maintaining order
and public safety. In Clarkstown and other towns across the country, our law enforcement
officers make a tremendous impact in the everyday quality of life we often take for granted.
There are countless scenarios where the men and women in blue make someone’s life a little
less stressful every day. Maybe your car broke down on the road and an office stopped to help
keep you safe until a tow service arrived, or maybe your burglar alarm went off and an officer
came by to make sure all was clear. These common day-to-day interactions comprise a good
amount of what an officer does on a typical day, but it’s important for those of us in the public to
remember that these men and women also put their lives on the line every time they report for
duty. In 2025, 109 officers were killed in the line of duty in the U.S.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15th as “Peace
Officers Memorial Day,” and the week in which that date falls as “Police Week.” In 1984, the
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) was established to fund and
maintain a memorial to all our fallen officers. The monument was officially dedicated on
October 15, 1991 and is located in Judiciary Square in Washington, D.C. Visitors to the
memorial can also attend the National Law Enforcement Museum nearby.
On Thursday, May 14, the Clarkstown Police Honor Guard, as it has done for many years,
will travel to Washington and lead the procession at the national wreath laying ceremony.
This great honor is a testimony to the fact that our police department is indeed highly
regarded across the country. And while the honor guard is representing us down in
Washington, we are experiencing a “changing of the guard” in the Clarkstown Police
Department here at home.
This week, it seems fitting to offer my tremendous gratitude to newly-retired, former Chief
Jeff Wanamaker and my heartfelt congratulations to our newest Chief, James Fay. Chief
Fay was ceremonially and officially sworn in on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at a special meeting
of the Town Board. Chief Fay has served the Town of Clarkstown Police Department for 32
years, encompassing every major operational and administrative facet of the agency. This
includes extensive work in narcotics and organized crime, where he served as an investigator
with the Rockland County Narcotics Task Force and the Anti-Crime Unit before being selected
to establish and command the department’s Street Crime Unit. He also worked in the Juvenile
Aid Bureau, where he handled sensitive matters involving family court and crimes against
children. He spent over a decade as a member of the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT)
and was a law enforcement first responder at the World Trade Center following the September
11 terrorist attacks. Throughout his career he has supervised patrol operations, the Field
Training Program, and Special Operations units including K-9, Traffic, and Anti-Crime. A lifelong
community member, Captain Fay's local involvement includes serving as a founding member of
the Greater Nanuet Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and graduating from the
Leadership Rockland program.
One of Chief Fay’s first official public duties will be hosting the Clarkstown Police
Department’s annual Police Recognition ceremony on Saturday, May 16th. The event runs
from 9:00-10:00am and is held at Clarkstown Town Hall, in the Councilman John Maloney
Auditorium, 10 Maple Ave., New City. Shortly after the town’s event, another ceremony will
be held at 11:00am at the Rockland County Police Memorial, which is located just outside
the Rockland County Courthouse on Main Street in New City. I encourage everyone to
attend one or both of these events.
More importantly, I ask everyone to pray for our law enforcement members who have paid
the ultimate price and to thank those currently serving, who place themselves in harm's way
to protect and serve our community.
