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Suffolk County Police Department Mourns Loss of Active Member

Written by Chris Boyle  |  08. October 2021

Members of the Suffolk County Police Department are mourning the loss of active member Detective Sergeant James Stapleton, who died on October 2 after a battle with cancer.
 
Stapleton was sworn into the academy in October 1995 and served as a uniformed patrol officer in the Sixth and Fifth precincts. He was designated a detective in May 2006. In September 2019 he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and transferred to Fourth Precinct Patrol and then Fourth Precinct Crime Section in July 2021.  Most recently, Stapleton was promoted to the rank of Detective Sergeant for the Identification Section.
 
“James was a fantastic human being and one of the finest officers and detectives I have had the honor of meeting in my 34-years as a police officer,” Fourth Precinct Inspector Michael Romagnoli said. “His loss will be felt not only as a colleague, but as a friend.”
 
During the course of his 26-year career with the Suffolk County Police Department, Stapleton earned ten command recognitions and three departmental recognitions for his distinguished police work.
 
Detective Sergeant Keith Serper of the Fourth Squad knew Stapleton for 10 years and described him as a truly selfless individual who would go above and beyond to help someone in need and always treated everyone with respect.
 
“You would be hard pressed to find one person without a kind word to say about him,” D./Sgt. Serper said. “He touched a lot of lives.”
 
Robert Viscuso of the Suffolk County Police Superior Officers Association agreed. He has known Stapleton for five years, and said he was always determined to put others first. Even when he became sick, he offered to help others instead of focusing on himself.
 
“Jimmy battled an utterly evil disease with admirable courage,” Viscuso said.
 
Stapleton, 49, was a loving father. A private funeral mass will be held later this week.
 
“Detective Sergeant James Stapleton truly exemplified what it means to be a member of the Suffolk County Police Department through his work ethic, dedication to duty, and character,” Acting Suffolk County Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron said. “The Suffolk County Police family has suffered a tremendous loss with his passing and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”

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