Street Re-dedication Honoring Police Officer Edward Byrne

February 26, 2018

On the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Police Officer Edward R. Byrne in Jamaica, Queens, the New York City Police Department is rededicating the street sign in front of the 103rd Precinct honoring his service and sacrifice to the city.

"He was killed just five days after his 22nd birthday just because he was sitting in a car and wearing the blue uniform of the NYPD," said Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill. "Now when people see this sign, they can tell the story of Eddie Byrne."

PO Byrne joined the NYPD in 1986 and began work in the 103rd Precinct a year later. Early on February 26, 1988, he was assigned to guard the house of a witness in an upcoming trial when two men approached his car. One fired five shots at PO Byrne, who died shortly thereafter.

PO Byrne's assassination shocked the nation and helped to galvanize efforts to cut crime and make our cities safer. President George H.W. Bush, while a candidate, carried PO Byrne's shield during his campaign. And in New York City, efforts instituted several years later to reduce crime have resulted in historic declines in felonies.

"The change has been remarkable, but it required a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice," said Police Commissioner O'Neill. "But this is why we took this job: to do good and to keep people safe."

Besides the intersection in Jamaica named in his honor, a park in Queens and a middle school in the Bronx also bear his name. The Police Athletic League has named its Queens facility in his honor and the U.S. Department of Justice named a local police funding program the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.

Service also runs deeply in PO Byrne's family. His father was a 21-year veteran of the NYPD and his brother Lawrence now serves the department as Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters.