Thank you.

I'd like to thank Piper Ryan Darty, retired sergeant of the MTA police.

Play God Bless America for us.

Please sit anyone else.

I appreciate it.

Good morning.

I'm Captain Collins Coyne of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Nero Shell Police Department, and I welcome you all today to our boat dedication ceremony honoring the memory of Detective Mark Gato.

I direct your attention to the American flag for the Pledge of Allegiance.

To the flag of the United States of America to the Republic which it stands, one nation, under God, in Israel with Liberty, Justice for all.

Order vote.

I'd like to bring up.

Please be seated.

I'd like to bring up Noorish Police Commissioner, Neil Kay Reynolds.

Good morning.

Thank you for joining us here at the Nourishel Harbor Headquarters on this this great, momentous and beautiful morning.

I'd like to first thank the members of the Neuroshell Police Department who worked so hard to put this together.

There are a lot of names, and I don't want to miss anybody, so to start naming people, I think would be a mistake on my part, and I don't want to do that.

I'm gonna make this uh pretty brief to talk about why we're here, the man that we're here to honor Mark Gaddo.

I first met Mark when um way back when I was probably 18 or 19 years old, and a couple of people here, I don't want to date them, but they knew me when I was there, and I was retired Sergeant Olimpio, retired Sergeant McGee, when I was a uh as we called it a detective at the Macy's department store.

And uh Mark was Mark was a great guy, he was a detective then, which is kind of crazy, but but he had this warmth about him that he treated me like an equal, you know, and he he really made me feel seen, he made me feel like I was a part of his investigation.

I was just helping out with the information I had from our side, but that was the kind of a guy he was to this lowly security guard at Macy's, and he remained the same man when I became a police officer.

He's one of the first people that came and shook my hand and congratulated me on on becoming a member of this great department, and I always appreciated him for that.

And he always took time to talk with you, and and we used to, the detective units used to get together and uh have coffee night, and we just sit around and talk about things other than then the job, and he was such a fascinating person in all the writing that he did.

He just he knew a lot about a lot of things, and it was just great to talk to him, just mention a subject, and he could go on and on about these subjects, and it was just unbelievable that I was able to work with him and get some of his knowledge.

You know, this week has been tough.

Uh it's police memorial week, and we did a couple of things.

We corrected something and we put Mark and Kathy, we put their names on our on our wall outside of headquarters.

It had been on, they had been on the wall since their untimely passings in in 2018, but we we put them on the wall on the outside so that everybody could see and remember.

And that those those plaques were donated by a friend of the police foundation, Mr.

Denegris.

And just this morning I got a call.

So I wanted to do this in phases, and I didn't understand, I didn't know if everybody understands.

At headquarters there, we have the flagpole, and around the flagpole, there are stones with small plaques on them.

And my vision is that we will have a small memorial garden, a peaceful place to come and contemplate things there.

So phase one was the wall, phase two was the stones.

Like I did with the wall.

I really have no plan.

I kind of just said, put your head down, one step, have the idea, just move towards something.

Well, this morning I got a call.

Those stones were placed there as part of an Eagle project, an Eagle Scout project by a former judge's son, Judge Paul Carbone.

And he told me that the monument was brought over in that whole thing as well.

So I told the judge, yeah, I want to do that, those stones as part two, and then a bench is part three.

And then maybe some arborvides.

I'm not an arborist or anything like that, but I heard that good.

Arbor Vides, nice small, peaceful place, a little marble bench.

And I said, I didn't want to do it until I reached out to your son and told him what I wanted to do, since it was his original idea and plan.

And he said, yes, his son sent him a picture of the proceedings that we had on Wednesday, and he thought it was great.

He asked if I would give his son a call, and he gave me the contact information.

I said, absolutely, I'll give him a call and thank him.

And then he said, Neil, I want to pay for those stones, and I want to put those plaques there.

So I knew this wouldn't was gonna happen again.

So he is gonna pay for that to be done, and he's coming up in June, so we're gonna add the names there as well.

And now the unlaughing part is anybody who's here, like I said, phase three is to get a nice peaceful place there, a nice bench.

I'm gonna say it again so anybody that's here can understand what I'm trying to say.

We want to get a nice bench there and some arborvides and have a nice place where people can come and remember the people who gave their lives in service to the city of Neurochell.

Just for doing the job that we all do, that some of us that are retired have done.

And that's that's something to me.

And um, I want a place of remembrance because if we don't remember our own, then who's gonna remember us?

So we have to always keep that in mind.

Um so my other part of the vision was that the week would go kind of like this, right?

And I said it in meetings, and and and this is where we are in this part.

So we had our memorial, which is sad.

Remembering the good times is fun.

It's great to think about the time that we had, but we're sad because of the time that we don't have anymore.

And then we go the next level is to honor the officers, some of whom are here today, who received medals yesterday for their works.

And I want to make sure I mention that not everybody in the department received a an award yesterday, but everybody in the department does something that I think is great every day.

They just come in and they do the work every single day, and I am gratified and appreciative of the work that everybody in our department does every day.

Those that received awards yesterday were just um examples of the work we do every day, and it goes from big jobs to smaller jobs, everyday jobs that people wonder why people call the police and they do.

And then we have this this last day of the week, and this is where we take off, right?

Because this boat, this this memory of Detective Gado is going to continue to take our officers out to help people.

And that's where we take off.

That's the future, right?

This is what he is doing for us now.

He gave to us when he was here, and now he's gonna continue to give to us when he's gone by taking our officers and helping people out on the harbors of uh Nourishell.

And I think that it's only fitting that we end the week on an uplifting note like that.

This is not a sad day, this is a uh a very uplifting day for me, and I'm very proud to have known Mark and worked with him and called him a friend.

And so I want to thank you, the family who gave more than anybody else here in Mark's service, and we'll be forever in your debt.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Commissioner Reynolds.

I'd like to call up Reverend Smart Sears, who will be offering a blessing for our boat.

Let us pray.

Oh God, Creator of the earth, the sky, and the sea.

We acknowledge your goodness in so many ways.

And today, O God, we remember your faithful servant, Mark Gato, and all that he has done, all that he did while here on earth, and all the ways he continues to bless not just his family and the people of the New Rochelle Police Department and the harbor unit and all of our citizens here because his legacy lives on, and we're so thankful for this opportunity to bless the boat from the bow to the stern, that you would carry safely all those who are on board, and all those whom they seek to aid in their regular duties.

Oh God, we know that all things are in your hand, and we look at the vast sea, and know that you are indeed ruler of ocean, and we see the little boat, but know, O God, that you are the one who keeps and protects those who will sail.

And so in this moment of remembrance, may we be ever thankful for all the ways you continue to bless us.

Be with us as we go from day to day and strengthen our resolve to be all that you've called us to be in life and in death.

This is our prayer.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we pray.

Amen.

Thank you, Reverend Smart Sears.

I'd like to call up the Gaddo family.

Jail, if you'd like to come up with your sons, so we uh have a plaque to present you from the Commissioner.

Thank you.

I'd like to direct your attention to the boat behind me, where Pio Trengucci will unveil the name.

And now PO Trengucci of our harbor unit will now place the wreath in the water.

Thank you, PO Trengucci.

I'd like to now introduce Miss Dana Angel of our records unit who will be singing Amazing Grace to close the ceremony.

I'm found was blind but see to feel and grace my feet that grace a peace the thank you so much, Dana.

That was great.

I would like to thank everyone for attending today and invite you to share some refreshments on the side of the harbor unit building.

Thank you for coming.