Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Former Coatesville police officer earns award
GLYNCO, GEORGIA » Former Coatesville Police Officer Dominick D. Braccio received a Presidential Rank Award for his distinguished federal service. The West Chester University alumni’s family still reside in the county.
Winners of this prestigious award are strong professional leaders who achieve results and consistently demonstrate strength, integrity, industry, and a relentless commitment to excellence in public service. Currently, Braccio is an Assistant Director with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) headquartered in Glynco, Georgia. The Pennsylvania native started his career as motorcycle officer and later a patrol sergeant with the Coatesville City Police Department in 1979.
“Assistant Director Braccio’s contributions to the FLETC, law enforcement and the law enforcement training community as a whole are remarkable,” said FLETC Director Thomas J. Walters. “During his 37 years of service and leadership, he helped to secure communities and the homeland and strengthened the caliber of professional law enforcement officers and agents nationally and internationally. This award is well deserved.”
In his current role, Braccio leads the Regional and International Training Directorate, which develops, manages, and delivers basic, advanced, and specialized training to federal, state, local, international, and tribal organizations at FLETC training sites located in Glynco, Georgia; Artesia, New Mexico; Charleston, South Carolina; Cheltenham, Maryland; and the Regional Maritime Law Enforcement Training Center at the Port of Los Angeles, California. He also oversees training at the International Law Enforcement Academies in Roswell, New Mexico and Gaborone, Botswana as well as export locations nationally and internationally.
In addition to his time with the Coatesville Police Department, he served 22 years as a Special Agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), working in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Detroit, Michigan; and Rome, Italy. Braccio’s DEA career culminated with his appointment to the DEA Academy in Quantico, Va. There, he served concurrently as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge and Chief of International Training, managing all training for 87 foreign offices worldwide.
Braccio earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from West Chester University and a Master of Education from the University of Virginia. He served as an adjunct faculty instructor at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy, and as a guest instructor at The Citadel and Clemson University. Braccio has received numerous awards, including the Administrator’s Award, the DEA’s highest recognition, the Outstanding Advocate for Women in Federal Law Enforcement Award from the Women in Federal Law Enforcement Foundation, and a commendation from the FBI Director.
The Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Service is awarded to only one percent of the members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) for exceptional performance over an extended period of time. Award winners are chosen through a rigorous selection process. They are nominated by their agency heads, evaluated by boards of private citizens, and approved by the President. The evaluation criteria focus on leadership and results. Recipients receive a cash award and a framed certificate signed by the President.
The FLETC trains the majority of federal officers and agents in the United States. In addition to providing training for more than 90 federal partner organizations, FLETC also provides training to state, local, tribal and international police in selected advanced programs; graduates approximately 70,000 students annually and is the largest law enforcement training organization in the country.