On Thursday, June 25, James Howard performed his routine morning cleaning duties on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, when he witnessed a purse snatching.
In that moment, Howard, a General Maintenance employee, shouted at the suspect and then went to help the woman. At that time, he also radioed his crew and supervisor. With his help, two members of the crew—Eddie Cruz and Javier Figueroa—and Wilfredo Cintron, supervisor, helped in the search and arrest of the suspect, as well as recovery of the victim’s purse.
This week, the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority awarded the four men, who typically work from 4 a.m.–12 p.m. every day, for their actions.
“They were ready to take action when they saw something happening and that’s something very few people would do, frankly,” says John Palmieri executive director, CRDA. “They went above and beyond their call of duty.”
These types of actions are what help to keep the city safe, encouraging planners to host meetings and events within the area.
