Greene County Police Officers Association honors ‘Top Cop’

The Greene County Police Officers Association (GCPOA) presented it’s “Top Cop” award to the Greene County police recruit with the highest overall academic average at the Columbia- Greene Community College Police Basic Training Program, Session 4 Graduation Ceremony.

The event was held at the Columbia-Greene Community College Arts Center Auditorium on May 6. This year’s recipient of the award and $1,000 is Officer Matthew Raynor, who now serves as a police officer with the Town of Hunter Police Department.

The award was presented by GCPOA President, Ron Cammarata and Awards Committee Chair Larry DiDonato.

Columbia-Greene Community College Police Basic Training Program Coordinator, and retired Village of Catskill Police Lieutenant, Professor William DeLuca, Jr., introduced the key speakers at the event. They included Class Leader Connor Ackerly, Columbia County Sheriff Jacqueline Salavatore, Hudson Police Chief Mishanda Franklin, Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky and Greene County District Attorney Joseph Stanzione.

Kusminsky remarked how the new officers have now officially embarked upon a journey to a truly “noble profession.” One where integrity and reputation are key to their success, not only with the public they serve, but within the law enforcement community at large.

Stanzione, who had provided the recruits legal training during their time at the academy, noted the importance of all the knowledge they received, and must continue to receive, to be effective  in the performance of their duties.

He then touched on a need they may not have considered. He presented each of the police graduates with a medal of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of police officers. The Greene County DA explained the medallion, shaped in the form of a police badge, symbolizes the need for the spiritual as well as the physical well-being of all police officers, regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof. He stressed that as they put their lives on the line for the protection of others, they themselves are not without need of protection.  

After remarks and awards concluded, a total of nine graduates received their New York State Division of Criminal Justice (DCJS) Certification required to be employed as a police officer in New York. It was the culmination of more than 600 hours of intense training over a period of just over six months. In addition to intense physical training, defensive tactics, and instruction in the use of less than lethal force methods, and other law enforcement tactics, recruits undergo an extremely rigorous academic course of study. Topics include courses in the state Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Vehicle and Traffic Law among a myriad other legal and non-legal disciplines. They even undergo Reality Based Training Scenarios to better prepare them for situations they may encounter on the job.

Many who begin the academy are unable to complete the physically and intellectually challenging training regimen. Greene County’s “Top Cop,” officer certainly rose to the occasion by not only meeting but exceeding the high bar set for the newly formed officers.

However, Raynor and his fellow academy graduate’s training journey is far from over. They have now begun the final phase of their formal law enforcement training in the field and on the streets of their new assignments as they undergo the field training officer portion of their training. It consists of working alongside experienced officers serving as Field Training Officers (FTOs) who teach and evaluate new officers as they apply vast recently acquired legal procedures, protocols, and interpersonal nuance needed to successfully interact with the public.  

Please join me as I congratulate Officer Raynor, and all Session 4 award recipients and academy graduates for a job well done! May they all be safe and enjoy continued success as they go forward in their chosen “noble profession.”  

The Graduates

Connor Ackerly, Class Leader, Physical Training Award, Overall Outstanding Performance Award, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

Aaron Cook, Squad Leader, Village of Catskill Police Department.

James Palmer, Village of Catskill Police Department.

Matthew Raynor, Firearms Proficiency Award, Greene County Outstanding Performance Award, Town of Hunter Police Department.

Ashley Reynolds, Town of Cairo Police Department.

Tayor Johnson, Squad Leader, Village of Athens Police Department.

Dylan Houghton, High Overall Academic Average, Columbia-Greene Community College.

Brian Johnson, Pine Plains Police Department.

Shea O’Bryan, Village of Chatham Police Department.

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Note: Applications are now open for the 2026-2027 Police Basic Training (PBT) class at Columbia-Greene Community College. To begin the process, all interested candidates must attend one of our upcoming mandatory Information Sessions: June 6 from 9-11 a.m. or June 10 from 6-8 p.m. For more information, visit columbiagreene.edu/academics/programs/police-basic-training.

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A resident of Durham, Larry is a retired captain with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.