May 2, 2022

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on Friday promoted four members of its police division during a ceremony at the Staff Sgt. Robert H. Dietz DEP Police Academy in Kingston, New York. The DEP Police Division was established more than 100 years ago, today includes more than 220 sworn officers, and is charged with protecting the city’s vast water supply system.

“I want to congratulate and thank the members of our police division who were promoted today,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “Nearly half the state of New York relies on the City’s water supply system and we are all fortunate to have such highly skilled and dedicated police officers protecting this vital resource.”

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

• Cory Albert was promoted to Lieutenant. Sergeant Albert was appointed to the DEP Police in March 2007 and began his career on Patrol reporting out of the Hillview Precinct. He was promoted to Sergeant in February 2016, where he remains active today.
• Nicola P. Cavallo was promoted to Sergeant. Detective Cavallo was appointed to the DEP Police in March 2013 and began his career on Patrol reporting out of the Grahamsville Precinct. In May 2018, he was selected for and transferred to the Emergency Service Unit, where he remains active today. In May of 2020, he was promoted to Detective Specialist.
• Lizbeth J. Gomez was promoted to Sergeant. Officer Gomez was appointed to the DEP Police in November 2017 and began her career on Patrol reporting out of the Hillview Precinct. In October 2019, she was transferred to the Eastview Precinct, where she remains active today.
• Gianfranco Nuccio was promoted to Sergeant. Officer Nuccio was appointed to the DEP Police in December 2003 and began his career on Patrol reporting out of the Ashokan Precinct, where he remains active today.

The DEP Police Division 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, boat and helicopter. They also maintain specially trained units that include a detective bureau, emergency service unit, canine unit and aviation unit.

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 jurisdiction of the DEP Police was extended to include the five boroughs of New York City. Members of the DEP Police are New York State certified police officers and they maintain 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 nearly 10 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. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.