New Rye Brook cop tackles policework and fatherhood

September 18, 2024 at 11:28 p.m.
Rye Brook’s newest police officer Darren Sukennikoff poses for a photo in the Rye Brook Police Department headquarters at 938 King St. on Monday, Sept. 16.
Rye Brook’s newest police officer Darren Sukennikoff poses for a photo in the Rye Brook Police Department headquarters at 938 King St. on Monday, Sept. 16. (David Tapia/Westmore News)

By DAVID TAPIA | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment
Reporter

Though he may be the newest police officer in Rye Brook, Darren Sukennikoff is no rookie.

Before committing to lending his services to the Village, he worked with the New York City Police Department for eight and a half years.

“I was in the Bronx at the 45th Precinct for about seven and a half years before moving to the domestic terrorism team in 2023,” he said during an interview on Monday, Sept. 16. “It was all a pretty cool experience.”

The 32-year-old worked in the intelligence bureau, investigating racially and ethnically motivated extremism.

“That could take me anywhere in the country, because we would have to investigate something if it were related to New York City,” Sukennikoff said.

It’s the job he’s always wanted, having grown up surrounded by public servants.

“It’s always been in my family,” he said. “My father was a volunteer firefighter and served as a chief in a few different departments. I spent my entire life around first responders.”

Sukennikoff was drawn to law enforcement at a young age, recalling moments in his childhood of meeting police officers in the street.

“I just always thought they were the coolest,” he said. “They would always stop to talk to me and always wave back if they drove past.”

He earned his associate’s degree in criminal justice from Rockland Community College and was hired by the NYPD in 2016.

While he wore many hats in the precinct, such as working as a plainclothes officer and as a detective, there was a downside to the workload.

“There were a lot of long days,” Sukennikoff said. “It was something my wife had to adjust to. But she’d always been very supportive of me.”

On top of his rigorous police schedule, his commute from Valley Cottage, in Rockland County, to lower Manhattan would take him an hour and 40 minutes each way.

“And that was on a good day,” he laughed.

Rye Brook will certainly be a change of pace, but it’s one that he welcomes—especially now that an even bigger responsibility has entered his life: fatherhood.

“So last December, my wife and I found out we were expecting a baby,” Sukennikoff said. “I had to figure out how I could be a cop and a dad at the same time.”

While he was content in New York City, becoming a family man inspired a need for change.

After searching for jobs closer to home, he accepted an offer to become the Rye Brook Police Department’s 27th police officer, hired at a starting salary of $69,000.

“I interviewed with Chief (Gregory) Austin and Village Administrator (Chris) Bradbury,” he recalled. “And it really just seemed like exactly what I was looking for.”

He was hired on Aug. 5 and immediately got to work getting to know the community.

“One of the first things I knew I had to do was get to know the lay of the land,” he said. “So, I spent my shifts out on the streets, learning their names and how they connect. I test myself by printing out a map and filling in the street names myself.”

Still in the midst of getting settled into a new job, Sukennikoff’s other major life event he had been preparing for came: his son, Chase, was born on Aug. 30.

“It was probably the best moment of my life,” he said. “I already know it’s going to be the most rewarding thing I’ll be able to do.”

Sukennikoff said the shorter commute has allowed him to be more present for his family.

“The fact that I can be home is perfect,” he said. “It’s tremendously beneficial to my wife, who puts in a lot of work. I’m really getting the best of both worlds. I get to be a family man and I’m a cop.”

Being a lawman, he added, has helped him develop skills that transfer over to being a parent.

“One of the key things I learned from being a police officer is slowing down,” he said. “A lot of times, it’s easy to get flustered and frustrated quickly. In policing, you learn to take a step back and analyze a situation and figure out a solution. And I think it’s a useful thing to be able to do as a parent.”

Though he’s dedicated to being a good father, he’s equally eager to put in work as a Rye Brook police officer.

“I really want to make an impact here,” he said. “I’m coming from a department of 36,000 people and things move at 1,000 miles a minute. But here, I feel like I can take the time to actually make someone’s day better.”

Though the new dad is living his life “three hours at a time, between the diapers and the bottles,” he’s certain of one thing: Rye Brook will be the last stop of his career.

“It’s definitely a place that feels like home,” he said. “The team here has been nothing but supportive. They’ve made a transition that can be stressful much easier. When my son was born, they sent my wife a gift basket. Everyone here has really been great.”

Though he’s open to dipping his feet back into detective work, Sukennikoff is also interested in trying his hand at a position of leadership.

“It’s something I never explored during my time in the NYPD,” he explained. “So, I certainly would like to challenge myself should an opportunity to be a supervisor present itself.”

Sukennikoff said the drive stems from trying to be a good role model for Chase.

“I’ve always tried to hold myself up to the highest standards professionally,” he said. “But now I’d like to do that for my son as well.”


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