Honor Officer John Skoufis

Assembly Resolution No. 344 BY: M. of A. Gunther CONGRATULATING Officer John Skoufis upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by the Town of Mount Hope on May 20, 2019 WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and honor those distinguished officers who would devote themselves to public service, demonstrating great courage and diligence in providing for the care and welfare of the citizens of their communities and this great Empire State; and WHEREAS, Within every community of the State of New York there are certain individuals who, by virtue of their commitment and dedication, command the respect and admiration of their community for their exemplary contributions and service on behalf of others; Officer John Skoufis is one such individual; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to congratulate Officer John Skoufis upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by the Town of Mount Hope at a Board Meeting on May 20,

2019; and WHEREAS, Officer John Skoufis was successful in apprehending two fugitives from justice, wanted by the State of Louisiana; and WHEREAS, On January 9, 2019, Officer John Skoufis, along with Officer Sean Burke responded to a call for suspicious subjects looking into parked vehicles and ringing door bells along Route 211 West in Otisville, New York; and WHEREAS, When the subjects were initially approached, they gave false identification and said their vehicle broke down and they were walking to a gas station to call a friend to pick them up; they also indicated they would be getting something to eat; and WHEREAS, Officer John Skoufis became aware of a wanted poster showing the photograph of the male subject; the two officers agreed the poster matched the male subject they had encountered earlier; and WHEREAS, Based on the information they received from the subjects, the officers responded to Pizza Mania, the closest restaurant to the original call to see if they were there and to visually verify these were the wanted subjects; and WHEREAS, Officer Sean Burke entered Pizza Mania to make a positive identification of the male subject; after confirming the subject in the restaurant matched the wanted poster, Officer John Skoufis entered the restaurant and the two policeman proceeded to arrest the subjects; and WHEREAS, A loaded handgun was located in the pocket of the male subject; additionally, he made spontaneous statements admitting his true identity and for committing a murder in Louisiana and gave a written statement detailing his involvement in the Louisiana murder; and WHEREAS, John Skoufis has been a police officer with the Town of Mount Hope Police Department for 17 years; and WHEREAS, During his distinguished career at Mount Hope, he has been recognized on several occasions for his outstanding police work; and WHEREAS, A resident of Middletown, New York, Officer John Skoufis is a New York State Corrections Officer at the Otisville Correctional Facility; and WHEREAS, With him throughout have been his wife, and their two children, all of whom feel privileged to be a part of his life and rejoice in his achievements; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those dedicated public servants who unselfishly devote their lives to the preservation of order and the protection of others are worthy and due full praise for their commitment and noble endeavors; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to congratulate Officer John Skoufis upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by the Town of Mount Hope on May 20, 2019; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Officer John Skoufis.