It was a gorgeous September afternoon as Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer, Deputy Supervisor Tony Martinez and Councilmen Terence McSweeney and DuWayne Gregory recently joined with the Suffolk County Police Department’s First Precinct Brotherhood to host a bench dedication at Babylon Town Hall Park in honor of Suffolk County Police Detective Stephen Mullen. New York State Senator Phil Boyle, TJ Hatter of New York State Attorney General Letitia James Office, Suffolk County Acting Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron, Commanding Officer of the First Precinct Inspector Kevin Kane, Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini, and Suffolk County Legislators Tom Donnelly, Susan Berland and Jason Richberg, along with Guy Calla of Legislator Kevin McCaffrey’s Office also joined Detective Mullen’s wife Patricia, son Patrick, other family members, officers from the Suffolk County Police Department and dozens of guests at the ceremony.
Detective Stephen Mullen was a devoted husband, loving father, and a decorated 26-year veteran of the Suffolk County Police Department, spending much of his career serving the residents of the departments first precinct. Prior to joining the Suffolk County Police Department, he was an officer with the NYPD in Brooklyn. He passed away at the age of 55 in December of 2018 from cancer related to his heroic efforts responding to the World Trade Center following the attacks of September 11, 2001.
“After 9/11 happened, Steven volunteered to go into the city, even though he told me he was being sent into the city because he had experience there. He never wanted me to worry about him,” said wife Patricia Mullen in her remarks at the ceremony. “If Stephen were still here today, I believe he would still be working… he loved working. He enjoyed mentoring the younger officers,” she added.
Councilman Terence McSweeney spearheaded the effort to get bench dedicated in honor of Detective Mullen saying, “the Town of Babylon is honored to share this bench with the Mullen family because of the respect that we have for our police officers, fire, EMS and all first responders not only in the Town of Babylon, but around the country.”
Photo: Councilman DuWayne Gregory, Legislator Jason Richberg, TJ Hatter of New York State Attorney General Letitia James Office, Legislator Tom Donnelly, Legislator Susan Berland, Councilman Terence McSweeney, First Precinct Inspector Kevin Kane, Patricia Mullen, Patrick Mullen, Senator Phil Boyle, Supervisor Rich Schaffer, and Guy Calla of Legislator Kevin McCaffrey’s Office.
