Mount Kisco's Ramirez honored as 'Youth Officer of the Year'

As I enter into the last few years of my police career, I can feel confident that I made a difference.”

Officer Eddie Ramirez

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. - Empathy and compassion for others.

Those are two values that Edwin “Eddie” Ramirez Jr. is eternally grateful for having learned from both his loving parents and through his upbringing in a Catholic school, where his earliest role models were clergy and people of faith.

They are also life principles that the Westchester County police officer says he has strived  to instill in his own children and to apply to his day-to-day work providing mentorship, services, and programs for local youth.

That commitment and dedication has now been recognized on the state level.

Ramirez last month was in Niagara Falls at the State of New York Police Juvenile Officers Association’s annual conference where he received the Albany-based organization’s 2025 "Youth Officer of the Year" award.

He also has been named “Police Officer of the Year” by the New York Hispanic American Law Enforcement Organization (NYHALEO) and will be receiving that award in October at the Greentree Country Club in New Rochelle.

During his 19-year career in law enforcement, Ramirez had been both a patrol officer and a Community Resource Officer in Mount Kisco, a School Resource Officer in the Hendrick Hudson School District in Cortlandt, and a supervisor with the WCPD’s Cadet Program.

He started out with the Mount Kisco Police Department and worked regularly with local youngsters, including through Neighbors Link and the Boys & Girls Club, under the village’s Police and Community Together (PACT) program.

Ramirez became a member of the WCPD in 2015 after it absorbed the local police department.

In announcing the award, the group said it was proud to recognize an officer “who has demonstrated outstanding dedication, leadership, and innovation in serving the youth of our communities.”

Ramirez’s “commitment to building positive relationships, mentoring young people, and implementing impactful youth programs has made a lasting difference in the lives of countless individuals,” it said, adding that his “work exemplifies the highest ideals of community policing and the mission of SNYPJOA.”

(Ramirez was also honored for having served as an instructor at the association’s training conferences.)

“We are honored to count Officer Ramirez among the exceptional youth officers in New York State,” said SNYPJOA Executive Director Brian K. Forte.

Saying he was “truly honored and humbled” to have been selected for the award, Ramirez said it felt “extra special” because the association is also celebrating the conference’s 50th anniversary.

“This organization and their staff have paved the way for youth officers, like myself, to learn and thrive in our communities by providing the tools and training necessary for our success,” he said, thanking Forte, Training Director Edward Schmidt, the SNYPJOA’s Executive Board, and the Award Committee “for this prestigious honor.”

Ramirez now works with the WCPD’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

Youth officers are vital because they act as specialized liaisons between law enforcement and young people, bridging the gap in the juvenile justice system.

They can help prevent, and intervene in, delinquent behavior by working with youth, families, schools, and social services.

Along with enforcing the law, youth officers provide the kind of support that builds trust and ensures the long-term safety and well-being of both youth and the community.

When a kid himself, Ramirez was always involved in youth programs, sports, and volunteer work in his community.

It helped form the foundation for his passion for helping people, especially youth.

“Seeing the positive changes that we can make by working together has been my biggest reward,” said Ramirez, adding that he tries his best to “go above and beyond” as much as he can, not for his own recognition but “to hopefully inspire others to do the same for the next person and/or the next generation.”

“This award is special to me because, despite the name of the award, it recognizes the immense effort that I have put forth towards our youth and their families throughout my entire career, not just the past year,” Ramirez said.  “It means so much to me because, as I enter into the last few years of my police career, I can feel confident that I made a difference.”

He praised NYHALEO president Sgt. Hector Lopez and his board members for doing an “incredible job of recognizing the commitment and dedicated service of emergency service professionals using their vast network of professional resources and personal connections.”

“It’s great to know that the work that I have done to serve my community throughout Westchester County is appreciated and worthy of recognition,” Ramirez said.