15th PDAC cites duo
as ‘Officers of the Year’

By Diane Prokop
Times Staff Writer

Officers Daniel Gorman and David Pinkerton are no strangers to the 15th Police District Advisory Council. The officers have stood before these representatives of community organizations several times before in recognition of their excellent work patrolling the 15th district.
Last week, the partners, who work the steady midnight-to-8 a.m. shift, were lauded by PDAC members for their efforts to remove dangerous felons from the street in what the police department has ranked as the busiest district in the city.
The duo were selected as Officers of the Year.
"They work excellently together, and we should be proud to have them here in the fifteenth district," said Capt. Frank Bachmayer, commander of the 15th district.
Bachmayer wasn’t the only one beaming.
The officers’ families — Pinkerton’s wife Kim and daughters Kaeley and Kerry, as well as Stefanie Gorman and daughters Riley and Maura — attended the council session to applaud the duo’s achievement.
"It’s nice to have my family here," Gorman said, as his daughters chatted with his partner’s girls.
Gorman has been a Philadelphia police officer for eight and a half years.
"We’re so proud of him," said Stefanie Gorman, who also serves residents of the city as a Philadelphia firefighter with Engine 19 in Germantown.
Kim Pinkerton was happy to see her husband’s police work honored by the advisory council.
"We’re excited for him. He loves what he does," she said.
Pinkerton joined the police department in 1994, serving in the 15th district until 1997, when he joined the Narcotics Strike Force. In July 2006, Pinkerton volunteered to come back to the 15th.
"It’s real nice to be recognized by the PDAC. They do a fantastic job and are an asset to the community," Pinkerton said.
He added that "a ton of other officers" in the 15th were as deserving of the honor.
In addition to plaques, City Council citations and gifts from the PDAC, the officers enjoyed cake and refreshments with their families and members of the advisory council.
Also recognized during the session was Officer Joseph Waters, who was honored as the May Officer of the Month.
On May 6, Waters came to the aid of a woman screaming for help at a house on the 1900 block of Haworth St.
According to Bachmayer, after notifying police radio of the situation, Waters entered the house by forcing the front door and apprehended a man who was running down the steps to flee. The policeman also found the woman who had been screaming for help. She told him the attacker beat her for about 30 minutes, at one point closing the window to muffle her screams.
"It is a credit to Officer Waters’ alert and excellent observations, combined with his expert training, that he was able to locate the property where he heard the screams for help and quickly apprehended the individual responsible for the aggravated assault," Bachmayer said.
"The quick and courageous actions of this officer prevented further and possible fatal injuries to the complainant. Excellent job." ••
Reporter Diane Prokop can be reached at 215-354-3036 or dprokop@phillynews.com