Duty calls: City officer heads to Iraq

Officer will investigate crimes with the Army's Criminal Investigative Command



Hour Staff Writer

In his three years with the Norwalk Police Department, officer Patrick English has chased down armed robbers, confiscated guns from gang members and broken up a suspected chop shop but for the next year, he will be investigating crimes in a far different climate.

English, a 20-year U.S. Army veteran who currently serves in the Criminal Investigative Command, will travel to Fort Lewis in Washington today, awaiting his deployment to Iraq where he will essentially work as a federal law enforcement officer for the military.

"It certainly leaves a void," said Police Chief Harry Rilling. "He loves his job, and he loves coming to work. He's very productive and well-liked by his peers, "

The police chief describes English as a "very educated officer who fit right in" when he transferred to the Norwalk Police Department from the State Police in 2008. English has won accolades from his supervisors and has received the Police Commission's "Officer of the Month" award numerous times since joining the force.

"He is also a true patriot, and he recognizes it's his duty to go," Rilling said.

The deployment will mark English's second tour of duty as a CID investigator in Iraq. He was also deployed in August 2003.

As a CID investigator, English conducts probes of "any felony that involves an act perpetrated against a soldier or by a soldier."

In order to be an effective investigator in the military, English said he sometimes has to temper the camaraderie and brotherhood he shares with other soldiers with his duty as a federal law enforcement agent. To do this, English keeps a simple truism in mind: "Right is right and wrong is wrong."

"Even though this soldier may have spilled his blood for the country, it doesn't excuse him from being charged with a crime," he said. "I'm always looking for justice for the victim."

English is the second Norwalk Police officer to be deployed to the Middle East in a year. Officer Adam Mulkern was deployed to Afghanistan in the summer of 2010. Both officers will return to the department after their respective tours of duty.

Sgt. Lisa Cotto said the department keeps in touch with Mulkern, sending him care packages filled with granola bars, Crystal Lite packets and DVDs each month. The officers plan on doing the same for English.

The department threw a send-off party for English on Jan. 6. Fellow officers and local politicians attended the event, and Rilling said English seemed happily surprised by the gesture.

"He expressed to me that this was far different than when he left the first time," he said. "He felt a sense of brotherhood and family within our department."

Mayor Richard A.Moccia read a proclamation at the send-off, and he took a moment to recognize English at the Common Council meeting Tuesday.

"He is so self-effacing," said Moccia. "He didn't understand why there was so much fuss. He was just doing his duty."