Police Officers Kenneth Vencak and Christopher Valand, of the 102nd Precinct, were honored with the Cop of the Month award at the community council meeting last week for capturing four alleged auto thieves and the recovery of the stolen car.
According to Capt. Martin Briffa, executive officer of the 102nd Precinct, Vencak and Valand were on routine patrol on Wednesday, Feb. 22 when they observed a 2002 Toyota Camry driving in a “suspicious manner” at 95th Avenue and 115th Street in South Richmond Hill.
Briffa noted that there had recently been an uptick in stolen vehicle reports in the precinct, with Camrys being of particular interest to thieves.
The captain said that when the officers attempted to pull the Camry over, the driver took off and a short chase ensued. It ended with the alleged thieves being apprehended with no injuries to the officers, or the alleged perpetrators, and no damage to the stolen vehicle, Briffa said.
The captain commended both officers on their arrest for a “great job.”
Vencak and Officer Kevin Warmhold received the Cop of the Month Award in January for their arrest of two auto theft suspects who admitted to five car thefts, with some of the stolen vehicles winding up in illegal chop-shops to be dismantled for their parts, police said.
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