Morrisville State College University Police Chief Receives Distinguished Service Award From Oneida County Arson Task Force

Enrico D'Alessandro, University Police chief at Morrisville State College, is the recipient of the 2010 Oneida County Arson Task Force Distinguished Service Award.



The award was presented to D'Alessandro, of Frankfort, N.Y., during the organization's annual fall arson seminar which gathered insurance personnel, fire and police investigators from around the area.



The annual award is presented to an individual who has given above and beyond and has made a difference in the community, and through dedicated service, has helped make the community a safer place, according to Ronald Brement, chief of the Rome Fire Department and committee member of the Oneida County Arson Task Force which selected D'Alessandro for the honor.



D'Alessandro has nearly 40 years of dedicated service in public safety in both the law enforcement and fire safety sectors, which earned him the award, Brement said. He serves on the Oneida County Arson Task Force and is also one of its founding members.



D'Alessandro also has an extensive background in law enforcement. University Police chief at Morrisville State College since 2001, he was co-director of the Mohawk Valley Police Academy, and spent 28 years with the Oneida County Sheriff's Department working in various capacities, including as division commander for the Law Enforcement Division, the first co-commander of the Utica Arson Strike Force, administrator for the Oneida County Drug Task Force and the first polygrapher at the Oneida County Sheriff's Department.



Additionally, he was appointed to the board of directors of the New York State University Police Chief's Association, serving as president from 2008-2009, and spent 24 years as a special agent with the United States Air Force Reserve assigned to the Office of Special Investigations.



D'Alessandro received a master's degree in public administration from Marist College, a bachelor degree in sociology from SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome and an associate degree in criminal justice from Mohawk Valley Community College.



D'Alessandro and his wife, Carol, live in Frankfort, N.Y.



The Oneida County Arson Task Force is comprised of fire, police and insurance officials throughout the county who meet annually for an educational seminar about fire safety and prevention techniques.