Greenwich detective gets top award
Apprehended two thieves within 12 hours
GREENWICH — A police officer who apprehended a robbery suspect and a burglary suspect within a roughly 12-hour period was honored for his work at a ceremony Thursday.
Detective Justin Rivera was presented with the department’s top award, John Clarke Award, an annual honor bestowed by the Greenwich Lions Club. The honor is kept secret until the presentation.
“It came as a complete surprise,” Rivera said after being presented with the award at the Riverside Yacht Club. “It’s definitely a career milestone. And many other people could have been recognized. It’s a great police department to work for,” he said.
Rivera, who earned a promotion to detective late last year, was attending a specialized training event for detectives in the region in Fairfield when he was summoned back to Greenwich for the surprise presentation.
Police Chief James Heavey said picking a winner “is a hard thing for me to do” due to the number of potential honorees for the award. He said Rivera’s “work ethic and investigative skills have been superior” in his recent posting as a detective.
Rivera had an especially eventful 24 hours on Oct. 28 and 29 in 2023.
In the late afternoon, he chased and tackled a person who had allegedly held up the Tiffany’s jewelry store on Greenwich Avenue. The department was short-staffed that day, and Rivera was put on the overnight shift after finishing his regular shift.
Around 5 a.m. Oct. 29, Rivera responded to the area of Saks Fifth Avenue on Greenwich Avenue on a report of a burglary. Rivera tried to stop a Dodge Charger identified as being used in the burglary with his police cruiser,
but the driver collided head-on with Rivera’s vehicle. The burglary suspect was later tied to other burglaries in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
“He showed no fear and was courageous in apprehending a robbery suspect and a burglary suspect,” Heavey said.
Rivera joined the department in 2012. He has served as a Master Police Officer, as well as working as training officer and a member of the emergency services unit.
First Selectman Fred Camillo told Rivera,
“you’re joining a long list of heroes who have worn the blue uniform.”
Rivera said he had seen the Clarke Award plaque in the lobby of the police department for over a decade, and often thought about all the family members, co-workers and supporters who were behind the individual honorees.
“Being the recipient this year, it’s because of everyone here,” he said. His own family members were seated at a nearby table.
The award is named after Dr. John Clarke, a Lions Club president who served as the medical adviser to the town police from the 1920s until his death in 1943.