December 22, 2020

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today promoted four of the most veteran supervisors within its police division during a socially distanced ceremony at the Staff Sgt. Robert H. Dietz DEP Police Academy in Kingston, New York.

“I want to congratulate these longstanding members of our police division who earned their promotions today,” DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza said. “These four supervisors set high standards for the 230 uniformed officers who protect New York City’s water supply and the lands that surround it. Their dedication to public safety and public health across decades of service is a model for all the officers within the division. Congratulations to them and their families.”

The following members of the DEP Police Division were promoted on Monday:

• Peter Fusco was promoted to Acting Assistant Commissioner. Fusco was appointed to the DEP Police in December 2009 as the Chief of Department after serving 22 years with the NYPD and retiring as Captain of Police. Fusco has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College and is a 46-year member of the Valley Stream Fire Department.
• Frank J. Milazzo was promoted to Chief of Department. Milazzo was appointed to the DEP Police in 1995 and began his career on patrol assigned to the Croton Precinct. He was promoted to detective in July 1997; sergeant in December 1997; lieutenant in April 2000; captain in December 2001; inspector in July 2007; deputy chief in April 2013 and assistant chief in September 2015. He has served in the Croton and Hillview Precincts and the Police Directors Office. Currently the bureau administrator, Milazzo previously served as the commanding officer of the Chief of Departments Office; the Special Operations Division Commander; the West-of-Hudson Patrol Division Commander and the Hillview Precinct Commander. Milazzo earned an associate’s degree from the Culinary Institute of America. Prior to his service with the DEP Police, he served with the Town of Marlborough and Town of Fishkill police departments for eight years.
• Thomas M. Arnold was promoted to Inspector. Arnold was appointed to the DEP Police in 1985 and began his career on patrol assigned to the Croton Precinct. He was promoted to sergeant in June 1993; lieutenant in January 1995; captain in January 2003 and deputy inspector in September 2015. He has served in the Croton and Eastview Precincts. Currently the Commanding Officer of the East Division, Inspector Arnold has also served as the East-of-Hudson Patrol Commander, Commanding Officer of the Croton Precinct and the Quality Assurance Division. Arnold attended Western Connecticut and Central Connecticut State Universities, majoring in physical education.
• Brian C. Handy was promoted to Inspector. Handy was appointed to the DEP Police in 1999 and began his career on patrol assigned to the Downsville Precinct. He was promoted to detective in March 2001; sergeant in July 2002; lieutenant in January 2003; captain in June 2010 and deputy inspector in September 2015. He has served in the Downsville Precinct, Gilboa Precinct and the Special Operations Division. Currently the Commanding Officer of the West Division, Handy has also served as the West-of-Hudson Patrol Commander, Commanding Officer and the Executive Officer for the Special Operations Division. Handy earned a bachelor of science degree with a concentration in counseling and criminal justice. Prior to his service with the DEP Police, he served as a dispatcher with the Schoharie County Sheriff’s Department, the Schoharie County Department of Social Services and the District Attorney’s Office as an investigator. He has also served with the villages of Cobleskill and Schoharie police departments for four years.

The DEP Police Division was established more than 100 years ago. It is charged with protecting the city’s water supply system, which includes two dozen reservoirs and lakes, more than 2,000 square miles of watershed land across nine counties, hundreds of miles of tunnels and aqueducts, dozens of dams, treatment plants, laboratories and other facilities. DEP police patrol the watershed by foot, bicycle, all-terrain vehicle, motorcycle, boat and helicopter. They also maintain specially trained units that include a detective bureau, emergency service unit, canine unit and aviation unit. The DEP Police Division includes 230 sworn officers.

The division traces its roots back to the Bureau of Water Supply Police, which was created through the 1905 Water Supply Act. It was not until 1907 that the first provisional appointees were hired and assigned. On July 9, 1908, the first permanent police officers were appointed and assigned to precincts in Peekskill, Garrison, Brown’s Station, and High Falls. The Bureau of Water Supply Police was the first police agency in upstate New York with a multiple county police jurisdiction. In 1983, the Bureau of Water Supply became the Department of Environmental Protection and the New York State Legislature revised the Criminal Procedure Law, part of New York State Law, to include DEP police officers. In 1999, the DEP jurisdiction was extended to include the five boroughs of New York City. Members of the DEP Police are New York State certified police officers. The DEP department maintains jurisdiction in 14 counties.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of high-quality water each day to more than 9.3 million New Yorkers. This includes more than 70 upstate communities and institutions in Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties who consume an average of 110 million total gallons of drinking water daily from New York City’s water supply system. This water comes from the Catskill, Delaware, and Croton watersheds that extend more than 125 miles from the City, and the system comprises 19 reservoirs, three controlled lakes, and numerous tunnels and aqueducts. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 scientists, engineers, surveyors, watershed maintainers and other professionals in the watershed. In addition to its $70 million payroll and $168.9 million in annual taxes paid in upstate counties, DEP has invested more than $1.7 billion in watershed protection programs—including partnership organizations such as the Catskill Watershed Corporation and the Watershed Agricultural Council—that support sustainable farming practices, environmentally sensitive economic development, and local economic opportunity. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program with $20.1 billion in investments planned over the next decade that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.