April 12, 2006                        

Awards PRESENTED AT STATE POLICE CEREMONY

Numerous undercover detectives and troopers, along with several persons from the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, received awards during a ceremony Wednesday, April 12, at the Connecticut State Police Training Academy in Meriden.

Twice a year, the Connecticut State Police honors troopers who demonstrated bravery and outstanding 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.  Award winners received medals and certificates from Department of Public Safety Commissioner Leonard C. Boyle and Governor M. Jodi Rell.

The following awards were presented on April 12:

Statewide Cooperative Crime Control Task Force (Motorcycle Gang Unit) and the Hartford Bureau Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a 22-month investigation into the illegal activities of a motorcycle gang.  It was revealed that gang members and their associates were dealing in the sales of narcotics and weapons.  During the investigation, purchases of cocaine, marijuana, Oxycotin pills and weapons were made from members and associates of the gang.  The Connecticut investigation continued and branched out to gang members in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.  On December 7, 2005, more than 130 law enforcement officers from Connecticut State Police, DEA and local agencies executed 11 search and seizure warrants (7 federal warrants and 4 state warrants) throughout the Waterbury area and at the gang’s clubhouse in Meriden.  Simultaneous raids also were conducted in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.  As a result of the raids, narcotics and weapons were seized.  Nine Federal arrest warrants and 15 state arrest warrants were executed on the gang and its associates.  Twelve gang members were arrested on various charges in Connecticut.  Massachusetts State Police arrested a key gang figure for the sale of cocaine and New Hampshire State Police arrested a member for the sale of cocaine. 

The successful investigation was a result of the cooperative effort of agencies and the dedicated work of members of SCCCTF and DEA.  As a result of the dedication and relentless work of these detectives and agents, numerous convicted felons, stolen weapons and narcotics were taken off the streets of Connecticut.  All involved received awards for Outstanding Service. 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.

Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, Trooper Michael Robinson, Troop D, Emergency Services Canine Unit, Eastern District Major Crime Squad, Plainfield Police Department.   Early in the evening of December of 2005, Troop D personnel responded to a residence in Woodstock for a report of a woman who went jogging and had not returned.  A description of the woman was determined, along with several possible jogging routes.  A full-scale search immediately began, including K-9 teams and the State Police Helicopter.  At approximately 10:25 p.m., Trooper Michael Robinson was searching a road when he located fresh skid marks and other evidence, both of which were on the edge of the roadway.  This scene was secured and the Eastern District Major Crime Squad and K-9 teams were summoned to the location.  Major Crime Squad detectives determined that a piece of evidence contained the name of a male subject and an address associated with him.  K-9 teams and troopers searched throughout the night for the missing woman while Major Crime Squad detectives followed up on investigative leads.  About 6 a.m. the next morning, Major Crime Squad Detectives, supported by Troop D patrol personnel and members of the Plainfield Police Department, located the suspect at his home.  He was interviewed and eventually released but not before incriminating evidence was seized from the residence, including his vehicle and clothing.  The suspect was then arrested by Plainfield Police for a domestic violence-related offense and was transported to an area hospital under police guard.  By daylight on December 13, Troop D troopers, Major Crime Squad detectives, and K-9 teams, were still searching for the missing woman.  Troopers and K-9 teams searched the property linked to the suspect and found evidence that led to an outbuilding.  Major Crime Squad Detectives and Troopers responded and found the body of the missing woman in the outbuilding, the victim of an apparent homicide.  Later that same day, Major Crime Squad detectives arrested the suspect. Trooper Robinson received a Meritorious Award in this case.  All other personnel involved received a Unit Citation for their efforts.

     Trooper Kenneth Dillon (Staff, State Police Training Academy) and Trooper First Class Brent Aiken (Troop I)  In August of 2005, Troop H received a report of a serious motor vehicle crash on I-91 in Middletown involving several vehicles and a tractor trailer.  It was reported that one of the vehicles was under the truck and that several occupants were trapped and injured.  Troopers Aiken and Dillon responded to the scene. Trooper Dillon reported that one of the occupants was deceased and that there were several more victims trapped in the vehicle, including a six-month-old infant.  The vehicle was down an embankment, crushed on its roof with the tractor portion of the truck resting precariously on top of it.  Trooper Aiken and Trooper Dillon, with disregard for their own personal safety and the life-threatening danger in which they were placing themselves, climbed under the truck and into the crushed passenger compartment of the vehicle, where they remained for approximately one-half hour providing emergency medical care for the victims while assisting in the removal of the infant.  Troopers Aiken and Dillon received awards for Meritorious Service for their response to this incident.

Over the past decade, Edward Jachimowicz has worked long and extraordinary hours at the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory in his position as a firearms examiner.  Above and beyond his normal responsibilities with the Firearms Section, Mr. Jachimowicz also has been responsible for marking weapons for destruction. During the course of his duties, he has test fired more than 17,000 weapons and entered them into the firearms database.  He has had success in 22 cold case hits, linking weapons to firearm evidence at crime scenes throughout our state. 

If not for the painstaking time and effort by Mr. Jachimowicz, these weapons would have otherwise been destroyed and not linked to crime scenes.  Most recently, one of the weapons set to be destroyed was tested by Mr. Jachimowicz, who was able to link it to a September 2004 New Haven homicide.  This case is just one example of the professionalism and diligence demonstrated by Edward Jachimowicz. 

Mr. Jachimowicz was presented with a Commissioner’s Recognition award during the April 12 ceremony.  His dedication to service is in the highest tradition of the Connecticut State Police.

-end-