And this rates an award?
This caught my attention on 27East:
East End Cops Honored; East Hampton Detective Makes History
Curious about what constitues a history-making event, and which local officer was rewarded and for what, I read on.
Odd as it seems, it was a gender-based "first;" East Hampton Town Police Detective Tina Giles garnered the evening's top honor, and in doing so became the first female officer from the East End's 14 law enforcement agencies to win the Howard Stock Memorial Award, emblematic of the officer who demonstrated the most exemplary police work.
Of all the instances deemed award-worthy, only Quogue's Daniel Hartman, cited for saving a man's life last April by performing CPR after responding to a cardiac arrest call and discovering the man unconscious on his bed, seemed particularly dramatic.
Then came the local recipient...
"Westhampton Beach Village Police Officer Kenneth Bigora was commended for displaying an 'honest and hardworking work ethic, giving 100 percent every tour,' according to his department."
Really? I know Kenny Bigora and not that I've even known him to be anything other than honest or not give 100%, but I began to wonder why this was considred note-worthy.
And then I reflected on what has been Westhampton Beach Police standards over the past decades, and decided that this was not only note-worthy, but confirmed a change in direction for the department.
The cynic in me mused that the last two year's "Officer of the Year" could appropriately have been, respectively, former officer Michael Bruetsch and soon-to-be-retiring Jeff Speer, each of whose separation only improves the department as a whole... addition by subtraction.
But no, Kenny Bigora is the ideal standard bearer for this year's honors... he shows up1, spends his entire shift doing the job he has been hired to perform, doesn't goldbrick watching videos during his shift, or do outside jobs on Village time.
He gives good value to the tax payers of Westhampton Beach!
Good work, Kenny Bigora... congratulations on your recognition. You absolutely do rate this award!
