By Stephen Witt
She came from Poland in 1994, and now as an eight-year veteran of the NYPD, this diminutive police woman earned the 60th Precinct’s “Cop of the Month” award. She is police officer Katarzyna Chramega. “Officer Chramega first came on the job from the 81st Precinct about two years ago. She came here very trained and professional,” said Deputy Inspector Robert Johnsen, commanding officer of the precinct. Johnsen said on the night in question, Chramega was on patrol and there was an isolated incident where a person was stabbed. At the same time, she observed two perpetrators run past her, and she chased them into an apartment building, where she saw them enter an apartment, Johnsen said. Johnsen said Officer Chramega maintained control and called ahead for help. In the meantime, she kept the area isolated and contained, he added. When backup police arrived, they made communication with the perpetrators, and after about an hour, four people came out of the apartment and were arrested, Johnsen said. Of the four, one was identified as the suspected stabber. The stabbing victim was recovered, police said. Johnsen said after the arrests while searching the apartment, police also found a .22 caliber gun that looks like a pen and is able to shoot one round. “It was a pen gun that killed an off-duty cop about eight years ago,” Johnsen said. “It [the incident] was a dangerous job, but great officers make it look easy,” he added. Chramega, a single mom with two kids, said she always wanted to become a police officer and took the test the first chance she got. On the incident in question, Chramega, who is a domestic violence officer, was on the way to a home visit when she saw the male victim bleeding on a stoop. Chramega said after chasing the perpetrators at about 2 p.m., along Stillwell Avenue between Neptune and Mermaid Avenues, they ran into the building and into an apartment. From there it was following police procedure, she said. “I like to help out people, especially domestic violence victims and I try to keep them from dangers,” said Chramega, adding there are many women she has placed in safe houses. “I tell my kids to be careful and not talk to strangers. To not pull out their cell phone unnecessarily, because they can get robbed and to be alert all the time,” Chramega added.
