NYPD Detective James Coll, far right, receives a tribute from Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In January, James Coll received the distinction of “Cop of the Year’ by the New York City Police Foundation for efforts during the US Airway Flight 1549 plane crash in the Hudson River. For saving lives, Mr. Coll has been the recipient of other accolades including a ‘Mayor’s Certificate of Appreciatio’s in 2002, and a commendation from the ‘Life Saving Benevolent Association at New York’ in April 2006. As a New York City Police officer, Mr. Coll had the honor of being selected for an assignment to the New York Police Department Emergency Service Unit (ESLI) in 2002.

On Monday, March 1st AAUW of Garden City will be presenting James Coll to an interested public as well as AAUW members at 9:30 in the Garden City Library’s meeting room. In an informative lecture, Mr. Coll will elaborate on the complexity of police powers and their limitations in modern American society. Through his detective work with the NYPD, and his historical background, Mr. Coll gives knowledgeable prospective of police functionings. By choosing the history of the NYPD as a thesis topic while attending Hunter College, his interest in the American Constitution was born.

How the American Constitution has been interpreted to help law enforcement deal with a rising crime rate, terrorist threats, and social disorder will be Mr. Coll’s major emphasis. Can a police officer frisk an individual not taken into custody? Many such questions are bound to be posed and elaborated upon.