Greenwich Police Ceremony Marks Promotion to Sergeant, Appointments to Detective First Grade and Retirement

Greenwich Police held a ceremony in the town hall meeting room on Tuesday to mark the promotional swearing-in of David Swift to the rank of Sergeant, and the appointments of both Detective James Manning and Detective Michael Rooney to Detective First Grade. Also, Sergeant Brent Reeves who retired on July 1 was sworn in as a member of the department’s Special Police Unit.

Chief Heavey thanked the families of the four officers and noted there was a significant law enforcement legacy among them, including brothers, fathers and father-in-laws.

Officer David Swift, who hails from Greenwich and graduated from Greenwich High School, completed his Bachelor’s degree at UConn while working the midnight shift. He received a political science award for the highest grades in his major.

Swift became a Greenwich Police officer in 2007, followed by his brother Matthew in 2017.

Deputy Chief Kraig Gray, who emceed the event, said Swift had received certificates of appreciation, divisional letters of recognition, numerous letters of thanks from the community, and personal achievement awards from the Office of the First Selectman, where he was  recognized for his accomplishments, dedication and professionalism.

Deputy Chief Gray recalled an incident when Officer Swift went “above and beyond” during an incident on the Mianus River, saying he was community minded and cared for the citizens.

First Selectman Fred Camillo, who also serves as the Police Commissioner, read Swift the oath and swore him in as Sergeant. From there, Sergeant Swift’s wife Lindsey pinned the Sergeant’s badge to his uniform and his children fasted his collar brass. Finally, Chief Heavey slowly lowered Swift’s new Sergeant hat onto his head.

 

Appointments to Detective First Grade: James Manning and Michael Rooney

Detective James Manning grew up in Greenwich and attended Mitchell College and Sacred Heart University, following his father’s footsteps to become a police officer on Aug 6, 2001.

He has been a detective since 2010. Over his 23 years in service he attended training in topics including Financial Crimes, served on the Homeland Security Investigation Task Force, was named Officer of the Month and received multiple unit citations.

Manning is a member of the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators as well as the Association of Certified Fraud Investigators.

Detective Michael Rooney grew up in Salem, Massachusetts and graduated from Sacred Heart University with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and then served in the US Marine Corps where he was part of the fleet anti-terrorism security team. He became a Greenwich Police officer on Oct 14, 2003 and a detective on Feb 4, 2013.

Over 20 years with the department, he has been part of the SRU team, the Honor Guard, Community Impact Section, the Special Victim Section, and is currently assigned to the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force in New Haven.

Rooney has received numerous letters of recognition, divisional commendations, divisional letters of commendation, divisional letters of recognition, the merit award, investigative ribbons, ribbons of commendation, two unit citations, and has been officer of the month.

Deputy Chief Gray noted that Rooney’s late father in law, Michael McDermott, was also a detective.

Chief Heavey described the “Detective First Grade” as recent to the police department for the past 10 years, and there hadn’t been a Detective First Grade appointment for 3 years.

“They’ve both done stuff that is very difficult because of the victims, the families they help. They’ve done much to stop future crime and recover some of the proceeds from serious crimes,” Heavey said. “It really is special.”

Heavey said the expectation of Detective First Grade is expected to share their knowledge of the profession of policing so that they can teach others how to be great police officers.

Heavey said that Manning joined the department in 2001 and became a detective in 2010 after working in the Community Impact Office.

“His experience and initiative led him to create a town wide awareness program that would prevent elderly financial crimes in Greenwich,” Heavey said.

In 2015 Manning  moved into the investigations section where his leadership in financial crimes was instrumental, and became a senior financial crimes investigator for the detective division, in a roll that further showcased his expertise and commitment.

“Detective Manning’s when he was appointed as a member of the Financial crimes Task force with the Homeland Security Agency.

Further, he became certified and gained access to the suspicious activities reports from banks which helped expedite the process  Greenwich Police detectives use in investigating these cases.

Heavey said Manning’s leadership extended to assisting his colleagues and providing training and mentoring for new detectives, showcasing exemplary work ethic and commitment to the core values of the police department.

Chief Heavey said it was due to Detective Manning’s tireless work and commitment that he was being appointment to Detective First Grade.

Heavey recalled that when a significant cyber-crime targeted a local non-profit, Detective Manning’s efforts resulted in a significant amount of financial loss being recovered.

As for Detective Rooney, Chief Heavey said he proactively investigated numerous crimes against children.

“His exceptional dedication was evident when he took it upon himself to learn how to use new social media communication apps  – the very platforms these predators use to commit their crimes,” Heavey said, adding that the approach coupled with his adaptability allowed him to immerse himself in a culture and text language of teenagers, enabling him to communicate like them and identify child predators.

“Since taking this initiative, Detective Rooney evident in his continuous communication with these predators using this undercover persona. He has engaged with them on his own time, not requesting compensation further

The Stamford Superior Court recommended Rooney’s investigations and arrests leading prosecutors to highlight these investigative abilities to the FBI’s Child Exploitation Unit and highlighted his becoming a part of that task force.

As a task force officer, in winter 2022, he played a  significant role in strengthening the working relationship between the police department and the FBI, showcasing his exceptional leadership and collaboration skills.

Heavey said the previous FBI agent in charge of Connecticut commended  Det Rooney’s outstanding work and significant contribution to the FBI in Catch a Predator operations.

Det Rooney has been guiding and mentoring both federal agents and task force officers on how to catch online suspects targeting innocent teenage victims.

“His work has provided an inspiring example to officers of the importance of self-initiative and dedication to victims,” Heavey added.

 

Sergeant Brent Reeves Retires; Joins Special Police Unit

Sergeant Reeves retired from the Greenwich Police Dept on July 1, 2024 following 26 years of service. He was hired in April 1997 and promoted to Sergeant in 2013.

Over his career he has been the chair of the Juvenile Review Board, Domestic Violence Coordinator, Certified Police Instructor, Lethality Assessment Instructor, and was the area expert in Domestic Violence investigations.

Following his distinguished tenure as a sworn member of the Greenwich Police Dept, Sergeant Reeves has chosen to extend his service to the town by joining the department’s Special Police Unit.