Swear in 131 COs
Where Graduation Sends You to Jail

By REUVEN BLAU

The 131 new Correction Officers squeezed into narrow aisles and marched toward the exit with family members and friends taking pictures and cheering them on at the conclusion of the Feb. 20 Correction Department graduation ceremony.

The Chief-Leader/Pat Arnow HEAD OF THE CLASS: Correction Officer Louis Pinto Jr. celebrates with his wife, Carolyn, after serving as valedictorian of the Feb. 20 class of 131 new recruits. The ceremony was held at John Jay College.

'Commitment Apparent'

Before the department's Irish Pipe Band blared away, Mayor Bloomberg welcomed the new recruits. "Your work may not be as visible as that of other uniformed officers," he told the graduates gathered at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater in the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "But our gratitude for your service and for the risks that you face is just as deep."

The Mayor noted that 16 of the graduates previously served in the military. "A sense of duty is what makes this the best big-city Correction Department in the nation," he said. "And that commitment is already apparent in today's class."

The Chief-Leader/Pat Arnow MARCH ON: A Correction Department instructor fires up the new class of 131 officers after their Feb. 20 graduation ceremony at John Jay College. The new recruits will be joined by more than 100 additional officers who are expected to complete their training in March.

The graduates comprise the smallest class in years, but they will be joined by more than 100 officers who are scheduled to graduate in March, said department spokesman Stephen Morello. "Training was somewhat delayed in our processing of background checks and administrative work," he added. "It's smaller than many other classes, but essentially we see it as one class."

The Correction Department has struggled to recruit new officers at the reduced starting salary of $26,667, which rises to $34,742 after six months, for a combined first-year compensation of $30,710.

The department hires roughly 800 officers each year to cover attrition due to retirements and resignations. There are currently 8,260 Correction Officers.

'Overcome Negativity'

At the ceremony, Norman Seabrook, president of the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, stressed the importance of integrity. "I told them not to jeopardize their shield for friends, and to make sure that they are enforcing the law in the jails and in their neighborhoods," he said after the graduation. "They are somebody's hero. They have to overcome the negativity from the streets."

The new officers finished a 15-week instruction course at the New York City Training Academy in Middle Village, Queens. The training included classes in security, use of force techniques, constitutional law, chemical agents, physical instruction, communication skills, investigation procedures, and first aid.

Among the graduates, 33 members currently have or have had a family member on the job, according to the department. "It's no wonder that so many of you have chosen to carry on such a proud family tradition," Mr. Bloomberg said. "But as the older generation will tell you: when they were just starting out, it was a different world. Back then, our jails were overcrowded and violence was all too common."

Over the past dozen years, he continued, the department has transformed, reducing inmate-on-inmate violence at Rikers by more than 90 percent. In fiscal year 2006, there were 37 such assaults. By contrast, there were 1,093 in 1995.

'Helped Keep City Safe'

"We are proud of these men and women who have chosen to accept a leadership role in our effort to keep New York the safest big city in the country," Correction Commissioner Martin F. Horn told the new officers.

The class valedictorian was Correction Officer Louis Pinto Jr. There were two class salutatorians, Correction Officers Jaeniel Killikelly and Ruby Koshy. All the new officers have been detailed to various facilities on Rikers Island.

The Company A graduates are: Ramon Abreu, Renee Ackerman, Antonio Adorno, Tammie Archibald, Christopher Arthur, Pedro Baez, Wayne Bailey, Erica Barretto, Thouplous Beaufort, Brian Bickramsingh, Danish Bissessar, Herbert Blair Jr., James Boyd Jr., Brian Bunch, Sharon Burke, Madiha Butt, Tramel Clarke, James Colon, Jose Cosme, Milton Coward, Luzanne Crowley, Mitzia Cruz, Michael Cumberbatch, and Dorothy Brown.

The Company B officers are: Jennifer Daly, Tashara Davis, Tawana Davis, Jean Destine, Victor Diaz, Daniel DiPieri, Shaun Dixon, Shirlett Dixon, Ian Douglas, Kieanna Drew, Lorraine Dupal, Lester Ervin, Alberto Espinosa, Kevin Flowers, Alexander Fontane, Cleeford Franklin, Michael George, Eboni Gladden, Mei-Ting Gong, Vernique Griffin, Joseph Grima, Jarred Guzman, Margaret Henry, and Donnell Moultrie.

The Company C graduates are: Victor Hernandez, Mark Howard, Jian Huang, Michael Igneri, Lisette Irizarry, Amit Jadoo, Maurice Johnson, Shavonne Johnson, Kenneth Keels, John King, Sophia King, Keith Lawrence, Leron Lee, Norman Lee, Peter Lee, Crystal Lipscomb, Timothy Love, Louise Lynch, Angel Maldonado, Damien Martin, and Antonio Figueroa.

Other Grads

The Company D officers are: Shyremia Martin, Jamie Martinez, Kelvin Martinez, Andre McCorkle, Danielle McCullough, Sharlene McKoy, Vinnetta McQueen, Clifford Michel, Dante Middlebrooks, Kevin Mo, Tamiko Mohan, Robert Moody, Tiffany Morales, Gary Morton, Timothy Munroe, Enjoli Murria, Desmond Myers, James Orphee, Jose Ortiz, Crystal Outlaw, Neftali Padilla, Alvarine Patterson, and Annette Roman.

The Company E graduates are: Craig Pheonix, Thomas Phillips, Thomas Przborowski, Takira Reed, Towanda Reuben, Andre Richardson, Neesha Richardson, Benjamin Rivera, Elizabeth Rivera, Sonia Rivera, Marc Robinson, Tiffani Robinson, Duke Rutherford, Nadine Samuels, Luis Sanchez-Alarcon, Michael Santiago, David Scott, Tara Scott, Quentin Shelton, Vincent Siederman, Everton Smith Jr., Jason Soto, and Louis Dixel.

The Company F officers are: Valentin Springer, Gennaro Squillaro, Tina Taylor, Paul Terrell, Shayara Thompson, Michael Thorp, Adam Tirado, Ajana Tyson, Vivian Vanderpool, Natalia Vanwright, Jennifer Vasquez, Desiree Velez, Bryant Ward, Udelee Ward, Kesha Watkins, Anthony White, Denise Willis, and Shanay Peaks.