UB Police investigator recognized by SUNY

UB Police Investigator Guy Harvey was among members of SUNY police departments recently recognized by the SUNY Police Chiefs Association for heroism and professional commitment to public safety.

Harvey received the Professional Service Award, which recognizes members for acts that greatly enhance the operation of their respective University Police departments, during a ceremony Nov. 15 in Saratoga Springs.

“As police officers, we look forward to this event each year and cherish the opportunities it provides us to honor these outstanding awardees,” University Police Commissioner Mary Ritayik told attendees at the ceremony. “It is a moment to reflect on what it means to be a University Police officer and be inspired by the heroes within our police force. I have had the privilege of working with so many collaborative officers throughout my career, and now, as their commissioner, I am honored to celebrate them and their work.”

SUNY Interim Chancellor Deborah F. Stanley called the award recipients “role models among their peers and the entire SUNY community.” In some cases, Stanley said, they have “put aside their own safety to protect us. They have our utmost respect and our congratulations for what they have achieved.”

In his letter nominating Harvey for the award, UB Chief of Police Chris J. Bartolomei noted that as a patrol officer, Harvey had always displayed “keen interest and exceptional proficiency” in investigative police work, often taking the initiative to follow up on his own criminal reports and develop investigative leads for others.

Since his promotion to investigator last November, Harvey “has made an immediate, positive impact on both the department’s investigative success rate and overall operations,” Bartolomei wrote. “In less than a year as an investigator, he has made two misdemeanor and 10 felony arrests.” Harvey solved a series of burglaries, resulting in two arrests, and through his own investigative work, assisted other law enforcement agencies in identifying suspects in their own investigations, Bartolomei added.

Harvey also volunteers to work in the UPD dispatch center and assists administrative staff when needed, often identifying operational deficiencies and helping to develop strategies to resolve them, the chief wrote.

“In his short time as an investigator, Guy Harvey has become a leader who others rely on for assistance,” Bartolomei wrote. “Investigator Harvey’s efforts have made the department better, and the university more safe.”