Department of Environmental Protection Promotes Three Veteran Members of Police Division

Police Protect Lands, Reservoirs and Infrastructure that Provide Water to more than 9.4 Million New Yorkers

Photos of the Ceremony Can be Viewed on DEP’s Flickr Page

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Acting Commissioner Steven Lawitts recently promoted three of the department’s veteran environmental police officers during a ceremony at the Eastview Precinct in Valhalla, N.Y. One officer was promoted to sergeant, and two officers were promoted to detective specialist. The promoted officers reside in Dutchess and Ulster counties. Over the last decade, DEP has nearly doubled the size of its Police Division to its current 203 sworn members.

“New Yorkers are fortunate to have a highly skilled, trained and dedicated police force to protect our water supply system and the lands that surround it,” Acting Commissioner Lawitts said. “I want to offer my congratulations to the three veteran officers who earned their promotions today.

The DEP Police Division was established more than 100 years ago. It is charged with protecting the city’s water supply system, which includes more than 2,000 square miles of watershed land across nine counties, hundreds of miles of tunnels and aqueducts, 14 wastewater treatment plants, laboratories, and chlorination facilities. DEP police patrol the watershed by foot, bicycle, all-terrain vehicle, motorcycle, boat and helicopter. They also maintain specially trained units that include a detective bureau, emergency service unit, canine unit and aviation unit.

The following environmental police officer was promoted to sergeant:

Sgt. Christina Murphy was appointed to the DEP Police in January 2009 and began her career in the Patrol Division reporting out of the Schoharie Precinct. In April 2010 she was transferred to the Ashokan Precinct where she remained active until this current date. Sgt. Murphy holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a concentration in Education from Franklin Pierce University.

The following environmental police officers were promoted to detective specialist:

Det. Olivia Bachor was appointed to the DEP Police in September 2011, and began her career in the Patrol Division reporting out of the Ashokan Precinct. In May 2014 she was selected for and transferred to the Emergency Service Unit where she remains active. Det. Bachor graduated from Ulster County Community College with a degree in Criminal Justice.

Det. Scott Hogan was appointed to the DEP Police in September 2011, and began his career in the Patrol Division out of the Eastview Precinct. In May 2014 he was selected for and transferred to the Emergency Service Unit where he remains active. Det. Hogan attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing more than one billion gallons of high quality water each day to more than 9 million New Yorkers. This includes more than 70 upstate communities and institutions in Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties who consume an average of 110 million total gallons of drinking water daily from New York City’s water supply system. This water comes from the Catskill, Delaware, and Croton watersheds that extend more than 125 miles from the City, and the system comprises 19 reservoirs, three controlled lakes, and numerous tunnels and aqueducts. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 scientists, engineers, surveyors, watershed maintainers and others professionals in the upstate watershed. In addition to its $70 million payroll and $157 million in annual taxes paid in upstate counties, DEP has invested more than $1.7 billion in watershed protection programs—including partnership organizations such as the Catskill Watershed Corporation and the Watershed Agricultural Council—that support sustainable farming practices, environmentally sensitive economic development, and local economic opportunity. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program with nearly $14 billion in investments planned over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year.