SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – The Suffolk County Police Department held a shield change ceremony in Yaphank, honoring the lineage of law enforcement families within its ranks. Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison and Chief of Department Robert Waring presented SCPD shields with familial significance to eight department members.
Sergeant Bridget Dormer received her late father’s shield from her husband, Detective Alexander Ortero. Her father, former Police Commissioner Richard Dormer, served with distinction before his death in 2019. The ceremony underscored a deep-rooted tradition of service passed down through generations.
Sergeants Sean Fleming and Kevin Muller, and Police Officers Daniel Catalina, Alex Cintron, Joseph Dewitt, Cody Kalinyak, and Connor Morse were also bestowed shields previously worn by their relatives. Each officer accepted the emblem that embodies duty and heritage.
This symbolic gesture signified the department’s acknowledgment of the personal and familial dedication to policing. The recipients are set to carry their legacy forward, bearing the shields in their continued commitment to public service.