Officers at Ground Zero to wear 9/11 ribbon

Warwick — Some Warwick police officers will soon have a poignant and special ribbon to wear on their uniforms. It is black, just two inches long and half an inch wide with the letters WTC in gold. It will be worn on the officers’ uniforms, like the other department awards. But it will have special meaning. Only officers who worked at the World Trade Center site on Sept. 11, 2001, are eligible for the award. Warwick Sergeant John Rader and Officer Ron Donnatin will receive the ribbon. The two were at a training session on the Brooklyn waterfront when the attacks occurred. They stayed for more than 24 hours straight, helping people get out of Manhattan via NYPD harbor boats. There are five other officers who were employed by the New York Police Department on Sept. 11, 2001, who now are Warwick police officers. They will also wear the ribbon, which was awarded to them by the NYPD. They are Officers Kevin Terry, Michelle Kozlowski, James Barnett, Shawn Tetzlaff and Michael Moon. Fred Hoffman, another former New York Police Department officer who will be joining the Warwick force, also will wear the ribbon.