Four Cambridge Police Officers Recognized with Prestigious Awards

The Massachusetts Latino Police Officers Association and Massachusetts Police Association will be recognizing four Cambridge Police officers for their dedicated efforts and contributions to the profession.

Officer Oswaldo “Ozzie” Ortiz has been selected for the Massachusetts Latino Police Officers (MLPO) Association’s inaugural 2022 Mentorship Award. The award is being presented to Officer Ortiz for his “dedication, hard work, and guidance that favor the community and department he serves” and being a “role model in the law enforcement profession.”  Since joining the Cambridge Police Department in 1994, Cambridge Police Officer Ortiz has demonstrated exemplary dedication to the Cambridge community. This was reflected in his assignment to the Community Relation Unit just one year after joining the department.  Since that time, Officer Ortiz has exemplified the highest quality of service to the community, especially in his chosen discipline of working and mentoring youth in the City. Today, Officer Ortiz is actively involved with many of the community programs coordinated through the Family and Social Justice Unit. As an example, Ortiz was one of the department’s organizers for the "Drive 2 Support Puerto Rico" fundraiser, which was designed to raise critically-needed items for Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria relief. More recently, he has been involved in programs like repairing bikes for domestic violence survivors and facilitating different life skills for our youth such as carpentry and teaching them how to build custom cornhole boards.

In addition, Officer Michael Padua, a 27-year veteran who currently serves as one of the Community Outreach Officers in the department’s Family and Social Justice Section, was selected by the MLPO to receive a Special Recognition Certificate for his impactful community service. His supervisors have stated, “Officer Padua’s level of compassion is unmatched.” Through that compassion, Officer Padua has built strong connections with residents, particularly those who are unhoused in the community.

The inaugural MLPO Awards and Recognition Ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 15, 2022 in Lowell.

Meanwhile, Officers Charles McNeill and James Costa will be receiving life-saving awards at the 2022 Massachusetts Police Association annual convention on October 20, 2022 in Plymouth. In March 2022, the officers observed a male in his 60s collapse on a Mount Auburn Street sidewalk due to an apparent heart attack. The officers immediately ran to the male after grabbing a medical bag from their vehicle. Discovering that he had no pulse, they began CPR and then utilized an AED the manager of the construction site had on-site. The officers attached and activated the AED, and it delivered a shock. The Officers then performed textbook compressions and ventilations for several minutes and administered a second shock from the AED. They were then relieved by Cambridge Fire Departmentpersonnel. Moments later, the man regained a pulse and began breathing again. He was transported to a local hospital, where he made a complete recovery. 

“These awards reflect the admirable service we see on a day-in and day-out basis from these commendable officers,” said Commissioner Christine Elow. “They make an incredible impact in our community and we are fortunate to have them in our police department.”