Charles Restifo has been a Pensacola Police officer for approximately 19 months, and already has earned numerous awards and recognitions for his pro-active approach to his job.
In recognition of those achievements, Pensacola Police Chief David Alexander III has named Officer Charles Restifo the department’s Officer of the Year for 2017.
“Oftentimes we hear our younger generation is a lost generation,” Alexander said. “I believe Officer Restifo is an example of what a 21st Century police officer personifies through his courageous actions and impartial decision making.”
Restifo, 31, was hired as a police cadet on December 22, 2014 and promoted to police officer on March 30, 2015. Here are some examples of what he has achieved in the short time he has been with the Pensacola Police Department:
- He was named Officer of the Month in January, June and October this year in recognition of how he handled and investigated various incidents.
- In September 2016 he was awarded a Meritorious Service Award for the manner in which he handled another difficult situation where a man was threatening suicide. Restifo and another officer talked the man into putting down a box cutter he was holding at his throat and walking to them.
- In July 2016 he was working off duty when he heard the Gulf Breeze Police Department responding to a fire call. Restifo was near the area and responded to the home. He helped a Gulf Breeze officer and a bystander treat an injured female who had been pulled from the burning home. He then began helping a firefighter perform CPR on the family dog.
- In June 2016 he was awarded a Bronze Cross for his split decisions and excellent judgment when he responded to a call where a woman was being held captive at gunpoint. The suspect eventually committed suicide.
- In January 2016 he and another officer pulled a man who was having a seizure out of a vehicle, radioed for an ambulance and placed the man on his side to keep his airway clear. The officers calmly talked with the man until the seizure diminished.
Restifo joins Detective Amy Parsons, who was named Officer of the Year for 2016, and Officer Trevor Mayo, who was named Officer of the Year for 2015.