Pictured, Inspector Vincent Buscemi salutes the men and women of the Long Beach Police Department as he leaves Long Beach Police Department Headquarters for the last time, and begins his retirement. Inspector Buscemi’s career with the Long Beach Police Department has spanned almost 30 years.
Police Commissioner Thomas R. Sofield, Sr. stated, “Vincent has been a friend and fellow Police Officer for almost 30 years. He is a cop’s cop. He has done more for the City of Long Beach and the Long Beach Police Department than people will ever know. He is one of a kind and will be sorely missed. I wish him and his family nothing but the best in his retirement. As I always like to tell him, “You’ve really done it this time.”
Inspector Buscemi roots in Long Beach go deep. He attended Long Beach schools growing up and he quickly began his public service in 1975 when he became a volunteer fireman at the age of eighteen. 1977 was the beginning of his Public Service career with the city of Long Beach, when he began working at the Long Beach Youth Bureau.
On July 18th 1979, Inspector Buscemi obtained his lifelong aspiration when he was sworn in as a Police Officer with the Long Beach Police Department. Inspector Buscemi quickly rose through the ranks. He was first assigned to the Detective Division in 1986 when he was assigned to work in the unit as a plain clothes officer. On August 15th, 1987 he left the Detective Division when he was promoted to Sergeant of the Patrol Force. In April of 1988 the Long Beach Police Department’s Detective Division created a Narcotic Task Force. The Task Force was spearheaded by Inspector Buscemi. On July 1st, 1990 Inspector Buscemi was designated Detective Sergeant. He remained in the Detective Division, taking over as the Deputy Commanding Officer until September 22, 2000 when he returned to the Uniformed Patrol Force as a Lieutenant. As a Lieutenant he was elevated from Deputy Commanding Officer to Commanding Officer. On March 18, 2004 Inspector Buscemi was designated Executive Officer and on July 27, 2004 Inspector Buscemi was designated Detective Lieutenant/ Commanding Officer of the Detective Division. On February 8, 2008 he was Designated Inspector. A position that was last filled by the Department in 1967.
Inspector Buscemi served with distinction during his illustrious career with the Long Beach Police Department. The honors he received from the Long Beach Police Department include twenty-three awards for Excellent Police Duty, the Life Saving Award, three Certificates of Commendation and the Distinguished Service Medal. He was honored as Police Officer of the Month numerous times. In addition to his many citations from the Long Beach Police Department, his achievements were also recognized by many other law enforcement agencies. In both 1985 and 1987 Inspector Buscemi was the recipient of the Nassau County Police Conference’s annual Meritorious Service Award. In 1991, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Nassau County Chiefs of Police Association. In 2004 Inspector Buscemi was recognized by the United States of America’s Justice Department for his hard work and dedication in the United States vs. Lake case. The International Narcotic Enforcement Officers Association and other Law Enforcement entities also have recognized Inspector Buscemi for his hard work and dedication.
Inspector Buscemi stated, “This is a bittersweet moment in my life. The Long Beach Community and The Long Beach Police Department is in my blood. I am a third generation Long Beach Police Officer. My great-grandfather George Hardy was a charter member of the Long Beach Police Department. In 1922, when Long Beach was first chartered as a City, he was one of the Department’s original members. My father Edmund Buscemi was also a Long Beach Police Officer who in 1976 retired as the Police Commissioner. My uncle George Ellert also retired in 1976 as a Long Beach Police Officer. One of the proudest moments of my life was when I was sworn in as a Long Beach Police Officer in 1979. Since that time I have always sought to do everything I could to make the community of Long Beach a safer place to reside and raise a family, and I trust that in some measure I have obtained that goal. A regret I do have is that I did aspire to follow in my father’s footsteps and hoped that someday I would become the Long Beach Police Commissioner. Unexpectedly I sustained a debilitating knee injury, in the line of duty, which I incurred while evacuating a garden apartment that was on fire in May of 2006, I was unable to meet the expectations and standards that I held so dear and was forced to retire. Nevertheless, I am proud of what I did achieve during my career. I took pride in being able to train and mentor young Police Officers and Police Supervisors. These fine individuals are the future of the Long Beach Police Department, and I trust that I am leaving the City of Long Beach in good hands so that it will continue be provided with public safety and the quality of life that the residence have come to expect and deserve. I am leaving the Long Beach Police Department and the community as a grateful man, and as a proud Long Beach son. As the expression goes, I will always have Long Beach sand in my shoes.”
