Crime & Safety

RVC PD's O'Connor Stops Gang Violence on Burtis Avenue

Named 'Cop of the Month' for his role in apprehending five violent gang members.

The Rockville Centre Police Department recently named Officer Christopher O'Connor Cop of the Month for his alert police work that led to the arrest of five Freeport gang members last month.

"Police Officer O'Connor is a tremendous asset to our department and the village," said Police Commissioner Charles Gennario. "He is a dedicated, hard working member who possesses a great deal of initiative and perseverance."

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On Nov. 4 at around 1 a.m., O'Connor was notified of a disturbance at a home on Burtis Avenue. He recognized the address as the home of a Dominican's Don't Play (DDP) gang member —   a known Rockville Centre gang — and was the first unit to arrive at the scene. O'Connor saw five men and a woman outside the Burtis Avenue home, and he and his partner stopped three of them, including one who was armed with a heavy motorcycle chain.

O'Connor then radioed descriptions of the other suspects to police headquarters, and continued searching the surrounding area for them. Through a coordinated effort by patrol and anti-crime units, the remaining suspects were apprehended shortly after. Police recovered numerous weapons from the suspects, including a gun, expandable police baton, a motorcycle chain and a mace.

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During O'Connor's investigation, he interviewed the Burtis Avenue DDP gang member and learned that the suspects in police custody were members of the Trinitarios, a violent gang considered the fastest-growing gang in New York, who were known for using machetes during their attacks. They were all from Freeport and are rivals of the Rockville Centre DDP gang.

O'Connor's assistance in the five arrests helped the Freeport Police Department charge the suspects with a gang-related incident that happened between the two rivals within the past few months.


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