TrooperS from TroopS H & I, Special units
Receive Service Awards

State Police Troopers from Troops H and I, as well as from several specialized units, received awards for service during a ceremony on May 16, 2007, at the Connecticut State Police Training Academy in Meriden.

Twice a year, the Connecticut State Police honors Troopers who demonstrate exceptional service in the line of duty.  The ceremony also honors men and women serving in local and federal law enforcement agencies and those serving as first responders, as well as civilians.  Award winners received medals and certificates from Department of Public Safety Commissioner John A. Danaher III and State Police Colonel Thomas Davoren.

Awards are presented in several categories, including:

Ø      The Meritorious Service Medal is awarded to any person who renders service with a high degree of alertness, perseverance and superior judgment in the performance of a difficult task resulting in the protection of life, recovery of property, the prevention of – or solving of – a major crime or the apprehension of an armed or dangerous person.

Ø      The Lifesaving Award is presented to any person who saves a human life or makes a valiant attempt to save a life.

Ø      The Outstanding Service Award is given to any person who successfully performs an extreme, complex or difficult investigation. The person also may demonstrate exceptional skill or ingenuity in the apprehension of a wanted person, provide outstanding service to the public and or continuously achieves excellence in performance of duties over an extended period of time.

Ø      The Unit Citation is awarded to members of a department, a command or group who combine their resources to achieve success in an investigation or event. The citation recognizes exceptional collective efforts.

Connecticut State Police Troop H in Hartford, Troop I in Bethany, the Canine Unit, the Statewide Narcotics Task Force and the Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force are proud have these award recipients from their troops.   

         Trooper First Class John Tollis   On September 7, 2006, Troop H put out a radio broadcast for a vehicle involved in a burglary of a store in Manchester. Trooper Tollis, who was on duty on I-84 in Hartford, took up a post within a construction pattern. He observed the suspect vehicle and immediately proceeded after it, stopping it on the exit 47 off ramp in Hartford. After further investigation, it was confirmed that the vehicle was involved in the burglary. The occupants were taken into custody and the stolen items, valued at more than $10,000, were recovered. Trooper Tollis received a Medal for Outstanding Service for his work.

Trooper First Class Darren Perillo On November 13, 2006, Trooper Perillo of Troop I was on patrol on I-91 in New Haven when he observed a woman climbing a steel ladder attached to a support pillar under a bridge. She was approximately 75 feet off the ground. Trooper Perillo initiated a conversation with the woman, who at first refused to come back down. Trooper Perillo continued to converse with the woman, who eventually responded to his request to return to the ground. Once on the ground, the woman stated that she was depressed. Trooper Perillo arranged for the woman to be transported to a local hospital for evaluation. For his work, Trooper Perillo received a Lifesaving Medal.

Trooper First Class Mathew Comeau, Trooper First Class Anthony Cipriano, Trooper First Class Sean Wolf and Trooper First Class Michael Cyrankowski    On October 13, 2006, the Naugatuck Police Department contacted Troop I requesting the Emergency Services Unit Tactical Team to assist with a suspect barricaded in his home.  The suspect stated that he had nailed the doors and windows shut and that he would be dead before anyone got to his house.  He was believed to be possession of a rifle and handgun and refused all attempts of communication.  A perimeter was set up around the suspect’s residence with personnel from the Naugatuck Police Department and the State Police. 

The suspect set the residence on fire and remained inside. With disregard to their own personal safety, Troopers Comeau, Cipriano, Wolf and Cyrankowski assisted in safely removing people from surrounding houses.  As the burning residence became fully engulfed in flames, the suspect leaped out of a second floor window, remaining within inches of the burning building. Again disregarding their own safety, the Troopers immediately and safely apprehended the suspect and removed him from a life-threatening situation which included downed, live electrical wires. Each Trooper earned a Medal for Meritorious Service.

Trooper First Class Kevin Eklund, Trooper First Class Stowell Burnham   On September 25, 2006, the Emergency Services Canine Unit was dispatched to Vermont at the request of the Vermont State Police to assist in the search for a murder victim, who was allegedly buried underground. Trooper Eklund and his K-9 Magnum and Trooper Burnham and his K-9 Grizz began to search the heavily-wooded area where the victim was believed to be buried.  They conducted a systematic ground search and about two hours later, the dogs located the body buried four-and-a-half feet below the ground. As a result of this discovery, seven individuals who fled from Vermont were apprehended and charged with murder by the Vermont State Police. Troopers Eklund and Burnham were each awarded a Medal for Meritorious Service.

Statewide Narcotics Task Force, Statewide Cooperative Crime Control Task Force (SCCCTF), Waterbury Police  Members of SCCCTF and the FBI conducted a seven-month investigation into the illegal activities of two street gangs.  It was discovered that the gang members and their associates were dealing in the sales of narcotics. The investigation revealed that the gangs were dealing in large quantities of cocaine with a street value of more than $2 million. The street gangs were also involved in violent crimes associated with the sale of narcotics. Raids were conducted on three occasions during 2006, resulting in the arrests of high-ranking members of the two gangs. The investigation concluded with more than 70 arrests and the seizure of about $240,000 in cash. As a result of the arrests, numerous violent gang members were incarcerated and their criminal enterprises were dismantled. Members of SCCCTF, SNTF and Waterbury Police received a Unit Citation for their efforts.

Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force (SFTTF)  On November 16, 2006, at 10:30 a.m., members of SFTTF, specifically Sergeant Arthur Goodale, Detective Joseph Kubish and Detective Roberto Gomez, conducted a comprehensive investigation at a pawn shop in Bristol.

The investigation led to the discovery that the shop had been buying and selling banned assault weapons over the Internet. These three members of the task force, along with regulatory members from ATF, were able to identify and seize an AK-47-type rifle, an Uzi-41 cal carbine, two Mac 10 pistols, a Ruger Mini 14 with folding stock rifle, one Franchi SPAS 12 Shotgun, one Tec 9mm semi-auto pistol, one Spectra HC 40 cal pistol, one Intertec DC-9 semi auto pistol and two Encom MD-IV 45 semi-automatic pistols.

The superior effort by these members of the Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force led to the recovery of 11 banned assault weapons, removing them from the hands of potential criminals.  They earned a Unit Citation for their work.

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