Bridgeport Police Officers Bumba, Battistone and Elerick awarded
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BRIDGEPORT - Three Bridgeport police officers were honored at the third annual department award ceremony Thursday. Officer Nicholas Bumba won the Extra Mile award and officers Nicholas Battistone and Alexander Elerick won the Outstanding Commendation awards.
Assistant Police Chief Darby Copeland said the extra mile award is given to an officer who truly embodies what it means to go above and beyond in their service. He added the award is given to an individual whose dedication, work ethic and unwavering commitment to his community consistently sets an example for those around them.
Awards were given out to officers by police chief John Bumba, assistant police chief Copeland and Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, the keynote speaker of the ceremony.
As far as Bumba’s service goes, Copeland said he responded to 284 calls for service, issued 212 traffic citations, investigated 24 motor vehicle crashes and made 61 criminal arrests this year so far.
"These are impressive numbers by any standards. What makes them even more meaningful is the effort, responsibility, and personal sacrifice behind each and every one. Every call represents someone who needed assistance. Every investigation represents a commitment to accountability, and every arrest is much the responsibility our officers accept when they take the burden to protect and serve," Copeland said. "We truly distinguish this officer, however, is not simply the volume of his work; it is his willingness to step forward when others need assistance, to take on additional responsibilities without hesitation, and to consistently put the needs of the community ahead of his own, he doesn’t know the extra mile because somebody asks him. He does it because that is simply who he is."
Copeland said the outstanding commendation award was given to Battistone and Elerick because of their initiative, determination, and their relentless pursuit of justice has made an extraordinary impact on the safety of the community.
He added Battistone and Elerick often sacrificed their own personal time to protect the most precious and valuable members of the community -- its children.
Battistone and Elerick's investigations focus on individuals who use online platforms to arrange meetings and go to Bridgeport for the purpose of sexualizing children.
"It’s emotionally exhausting, mentally demanding, and requires an extraordinary level of patience, professionalism, and personal sacrifice," Copeland said. "Yet, despite these challenges, officers Battistone and Elerick have remained steadfast in their mission, they have continued to pursue individuals posing threats to children, knowing that every investigation, every arrest, and every successful prosecution represents another step towards making our community a safer place."
Copeland said the effort began after a conversation with the chief, where the idea to investigate such crimes against children was given a shot. Ever since the initiative started a year and a half ago, he said these investigations have resulted in 30 arrests so far.
But Copeland added the duo’s work is about far more than just getting convictions.
"It’s about protecting childhood, preserving innocence, and ensuring that our children have the opportunity to grow up in a community where they can feel safe and secure," Copeland said.
Originally, the event was slated to begin at 6 p.m. but it was delayed due to a ride along keynote speaker Wilson took with a few police officers, which led to the arrest of a 37-year-old man who was allegedly coming to Bridgeport to have relations with a 15-year-old girl.
"At about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, they got a hit from a 37-year-old man who was going to come to town to connect or to hook up with a young teenage girl. Now they knew that this event was happening. They knew that that was a tight timetable, and the guy said, 'Look, I don’t think I’m going to be able to be there before about 5:30.' Not one of those officers hesitated. Not one of those officers took a pause to be like, 'Oh, we’ll catch him another time.' All of those officers immediately lined up to take this predator off your streets, who was coming to your town to do harm to your children. That is the quality of public service that you have every day, keeping you safe," Wilson said.
He added part of his role as Attorney General is to make sure policies, initiatives and the laws put in place adequately reflect the needs of the men and women who are working in the field daily.
"As a matter of fact, if we don’t do that right, we can make their job harder. The best way to do that, the way we can best understand what they need, is by spending time with them, literally spending time shoulder to shoulder with them in the trenches, watching them do the job," Wilson said. "Now, will I understand that fully? No, because I don’t put the uniform on every single day. But we have an obligation as executive level leaders in public safety to make sure that we understand what our men and women face every single day."
He then spoke to the officers about the importance of the job they do in their daily lives, as well as the toll it can take on not only them, but their loved ones.
"What you do truly matters, and we’re lucky to have men and women like you who keep us safe, and we, as a society, need to do everything we can to know to let these officers know how valuable you are to us," Wilson said. "You see people at their worst hour at their worst minute, and it takes a toll on it. So the thing that offsets the vicarious trauma of this job is knowing that what you do matters and knowing that you’re supported by this community."
He added he believes that Bridgeport is incredibly lucky to have the police department it does.