Police Name New Marine Vessel After Departed Sergeant

With family, friends and fellow officers all around champagne was smashed against the bow of a new police boat in memory of Suffolk Marine Bureau Officer Sgt. David Cherkes. The new vessel, a 38-foot Safe Boat, will patrol the waters he helped keep safe before losing a courageous battle to Pancreatic cancer at age 52.

County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison was on hand to launch the new boat in memory of Cherkes who began his law enforcement career as a New York City police officer in 1989, joining the SCPD two years later. Among his assignments, he worked in the Marine Bureau and then later returned to that command as a sergeant in 2004 where he stayed until his retirement in 2020. Cherkes battled cancer during the last year and a half of his career, but continued working while undergoing chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.

Police Officer David Cherkes. A new 38-foot Suffolk Marine Bureau vessel was named for him. File Photo

During his service, Cherkes was awarded the Meritorious Police Service Award after he helped pull a crash victim from a car that had struck a utility pole and burst into flames. He also earned four department recognitions, two command recognitions and was named officer of the month on two occasions, according to the department. He’s a graduate of Deer Park High School and attended Suffolk Community College and SUNY Farmingdale before becoming an officer.

Suffolk Police marine units patrol 500 square miles of navigable waterways from the Connecticut state line which bisects the Long Island Sound, to the New York state line three miles south of Fire Island in the North Atlantic Ocean. Land areas covered include Fire Island and Jones Island barrier beaches and the islands of the Great South Bay. Marine units also respond to water and ice rescues on the inland lakes, ponds and streams of the District.

The Marine Bureau is staffed by 83 sworn officers and civilian personnel, augmented each summer by the addition of eight officers on seasonal assignment. Approximately 50 officers are Coast Guard licensed Masters (captains) and about 70% are Emergency Medical Technicians - Defibrillator (EMT-D). Barrier beach units, boats and the SCUBA team are available 24 hours a day.