Great Niece Receives Shield, Recovers Family Lineage By P.O. Daniel Stokes When a rookie cop gets called into the commanding officer’s office, it isn’t usually for a good reason. But for P.O. Deshay Thomas, a recent visit with Insp. Aaron Edwards went better than she could have imagined. During stays at her aunt’s home, Deshay was often curious about a picture of her aunt’s father, and Deshay’s great-uncle—Maurice Smith—proudly displayed on a shelf. Deshay knew her great-uncle had been a police officer, but his career as an officer seemed to be lost to family history. After graduating from the Police Academy, Deshay was assigned to the Midtown South Precinct, the confines of which includes Times Square, Penn Station, and Madison Square Garden. During the new officers’ week-long orientation, she met her new commanding officer, Insp. Edwards. She took the opportunity to ask for his help in finding out more about her great-uncle. She knew only that he had passed away shortly after completing his 21st year on the job. Over five months had passed since Deshay had made her request and, pre-occupied with learning how to conduct patrol in the city’s epicenter, it was the last thing on her mind when she was called into his office. Insp. Edwards welcomed her warmly and presented her with a photo of P.O. Maurice Smith, in uniform, and a folder of documents nearly an inch thick. It turns out, Deshay’s great-uncle was a decorated officer who made some notable arrests. Born in 1930, he was appointed an NYPD Patrolman in 1954, spending his entire career in Harlem—two-and-a-half years in the 30th Precinct, and nearly 18 years in the 25th Precinct. In that time, he received various accolades including a Meritorious Police Duty medal, awarded in 1962, for the off-duty arrests of two men who were wanted for homicide; in 1964, he received an Excellent Police Duty medal, along with three fellow officers, for breaking up a six-man altercation that resulted in arrests and the confiscation of a loaded machine gun. Desperate to hear anything about him, his great-niece was suddenly overwhelmed, and overjoyed. “It’s rare we get a chance to find out this information about family from so long ago,” Insp. Edwards said. “Having the opportunity for her to see the great work Smith did and make that family connection is a really great feeling.” Those weren’t the inspector’s only gifts, however. When Insp. Edwards opened up a box with a navy blue felt cushion displaying a police officer’s shield, number 18371, the number P.O. Maurice Smith proudly wore for the entirety of his career, Deshay teared up. Informed that her current shield was no longer needed, Deshay removed it, and Insp. Edwards pinned her new shield to her duty jacket. “It’s comforting to know he’s with me now,” Deshay said. “Next to my heart.”
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