UPD Investigator part of award-winning law enforcement effort

University Police Department (UPD) Investigator Bruce Chambers joined members of the New Paltz Police Department (NPPD) in receiving a Meritorious Police Service in Investigation award, May 21 at the Ulster County Police Chiefs Association Awards Dinner at the Wiltwyck Golf Course in Kingston, N.Y.

Chambers contributed to a joint effort to identify a suspect wanted in relation to a homicide committed in the village of New Paltz in April 2014. He was tasked with interviewing dozens of witnesses within a very small window of time, and obtained information valuable to the resolution of the case.

“Investigator Chambers is a dedicated and very thorough Investigator for our department,” said UPD Chief David Dugatkin. “His skills and instinct are exactly what a Chief looks for in an Investigator.”

Members of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office also aided in the investigation, which produced an arrest within 48 hours of the commission of the crime.

“This case was a huge endeavor, and it was solved only because everyone was willing to work around the clock in order to identify a suspect,” said NPPD Lieutenant Robert Lucchesi.

While neither the attacker nor the victim had any affiliation with SUNY New Paltz, there were students present at the time of the incident. The UPD has a mission to ensure the security of those who live, work and study at the College, which requires its officers to be prepared to respond to public safety concerns even when they originate off-campus.

“The College community is a huge part of the Town of New Paltz,” Chambers said. “The fact that we’re able to work with the NPPD on different kinds of cases when the need arises is not only a benefit to our community, but to the Town as well.”

Cooperation and open dialogue between the UPD and the NPPD are key components of their shared responsibility to keep village residents safe. The teamwork demonstrated by the agencies in response to this case is emblematic of how they operate on a day-to-day basis.

“The officers of the University Police Department and the Town of New Paltz Police Department have always worked well together, which is something you don’t always see in neighboring departments,” Dugatkin said. “My officers and the Town’s officers are professional, courteous and dedicated members of our joint community. That’s a fact I’m very proud of.”

More information about the University Police Department is available online.