SOPD Commended and Thanked for their Heroic Actions During Hurricane Ida

By the Community Police Collaborative

In the aftermath of the Hurricane Ida, which hit South Orange and surrounding communities on September 1st and 2nd, the South Orange Police Department has issued commendations to personnel who went above and beyond the call of duty to save lives and help our community members survive the storm. Attached is a copy of the Commendation by Acting Chief Stephen Dolinac which lists the officers and personnel, as well as a description of some of their heroic efforts. Captain Dolinac notes that he is “relieved, gratified, and exceedingly proud of the work done by the people of the South Orange Police Department” and describes some examples of SOPD officers “going above and beyond the call of duty and putting their own lives on the line”. In addition to situations where officers literally swam to save occupants of stranded cars and also carried people on their backs to safety, there were countless examples of efforts by all personnel during and after the storm to deal with the overwhelming number of emergency calls. The Community Police Collaborative would like to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude for the heroism and dedication of our police department to help get us through this event without loss of life or major injury to civilians. Thank you!!