POLICE OFFICER EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL AWARD
Presented in memory of New York City Police Officer Edward Byrne who was 22 years old when he was murdered by drug dealers in Jamaica, Queens. The murderers had hoped to intimidate the NYPD and the City of New York. Instead, Officer Byrne’s courage and devotion to duty have inspired all of New York’s Finest and all New Yorkers.

NYPD Assistant Chief Michael E. Shea is receiving the Police Officer Edward Byrne Memorial Award.
Born in the Bronx, he traces his Irish roots to Kenmare, County Kerry, from which his father Jeremiah hails, and County Cork, where his mother Anne’s parents were born.
He is proud to be the son and grandson of Irish immigrants as well as a third generation New York City civil servant.
The family belonged to St. Anselm Church, Melrose, and later St. Margaret of Cortona Church, Riverdale, where he attended the parish school and then Cardinal Spellman H.S., the Bronx.
He earned his bachelor’s degree at Fordham University and returned to his alma mater for a master’s in business administration from the School of Business Administration and a juris doctorate from the School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
He graduated from the 179th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.; received a certificate of achievement in criminal justice education from the University of Virginia; and later graduated from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business, Police Management Institute.
A member of the New York City Police Department since July, 1985, he was appointed commanding officer of the NYPD’s Office of Labor Relations earlier this year.
Upon his graduation from the Police Academy in December, 1985, he was assigned to Neighborhood Stabilization Unit 5, performing duty primarily in the 34th and 28th precincts in upper Manhattan. A year later, he was assigned to the 34th Precinct, where he served until his promotion to sergeant in April, 1989.
He served in the 47th Precinct and later in the 24th Precinct, where he was also the union delegate for the Sergeants Benevolent Association.
With his promotion to lieutenant in 1996, he was assigned to the Midtown North Precinct and was later promoted to captain.
After serving as the executive officer of the 41st and 19th Precincts, Chief Shea was named commanding officer of the 20th Precinct in 1999. He was promoted to deputy inspector three years later.
In 2003, he was assigned to the office of the police commissioner and was later designated an executive officer. He was eventually promoted to inspector, deputy chief, commanding officer and then assistant chief.
While in the police commissioner’s office, his work included preparation for and response to major events, including the 2003 blackout, the 2004 Republican National Convention, the NYPD deployment to assist in relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the 2005 New York City Transit strike and the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
In 2012, he became commanding officer of the Personnel Bureau, where he helped coordinate the NYPD response to Hurricane Sandy, before receiving his current assignment.
Chief Shea has received seven awards for meritorious police duty, 21 awards for excellent police duty and a unit citation along with the members of the 24th Precinct in 1994.
Chief Shea was named the New York’s Finest Foundation Cop of the Month in June, 1991.
In 2010, he was named the NYPD Holy Name Society Man of the Year and received an Irish American Law and Order Leaders Award by the Irish Echo.
Earlier this year, he was selected as the NYPD Emerald Society’s 2014 Irishman of the Year.