POUGHKEEPSIE – Members of law enforcement from several Hudson Valley police agencies stood with their Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) counterparts to honor their fallen colleagues. Sheriff Kirk Imperati held the event at the Dutchess County Law Enforcement Center on Parker Avenue.
On Thursday morning, flanked by several elected officials, Dutchess County Sheriff Kirk Imperati addressed the police and corrections officers standing in formation before him. “May is a month to remember all of law enforcement,” the veteran cop said. “These are trying times we are living in and I appreciate the hard work of every man and woman that wears a badge and makes sacrifices on a daily basis.” Imperati spoke of the new challenges in the current times including bail reform, discovery, and the pandemic that have placed additional burdens on law enforcement and corrections.
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro took a few minutes to thank the attendees for their commitment to law and order while also touching on recent tragedies in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, Texas. “It is hard to come together today without acknowledging that we are in the shadow of horrific loss and we are living in a time and a society that is not only broken but heartbroken,” the candidate for Congress said. “We are living in a very violent moment in American history.”
Sheriff Imperati read the names of DCSO members that died in the line of duty over the years, as well as members that passed in the last year. After announcing the names, wreaths were laid at the base of the flagpole as DCSO Chief of the Department Jason Mark played taps.
DCSO line of duty deaths:
- Deputy Sheriff Charles Scott
- Deputy Sheriff Thomas Noone
- DCSO Sergeant William Herman
- Deputy Sheriff TZ Tucznski
- Deputy Sheriff Erik Renninger
DCSO employees that passed away in the past year:
- Dutchess County Sheriff Adrian “Butch” Anderson
- Retired DCSO Deputy Sheriff Dan Magurno
- Retired DCSO Deputy Sheriff Wayne Diegel
- Retired DCSO TAC Deputy Sheriff Lenny Anderson
- Corrections Civilian Caroline Tague
- Corrections Officer Ronda Hood
To close the memorial, Imperati again thanked the members of law enforcement. “This job is a calling and I thank you for answering every call.”
Video of wreath-laying ceremony:
