Steven Olimpio - PBA President

Born in Polla, Italy, the son of Ciro and Assunta Olimpio, Steven immigrated to America in 1972, residing with his family in the Riverside section of Paterson. Steven attended Public School # 18 and graduated from Passaic County Technical School where he excelled in tennis and soccer.

Steven is married to the former Joan Rosano. The couple has a 12 year-old daughter, Brianna and son Steven Jr., now 9 months old.

In 1986, Steven was sworn in as a Paterson Police Officer and promoted to the rank of detective in the narcotics division in 1989.

Steven felt a need to address the many issues and concerns facing his fellow law enforcement colleagues, and in June 2003 actively campaigned for and was elected president of the Policemen's Benevolent Association.

During this time he has received many meritorious awards:

 

 

• The New Jersey Honor Legion
   
• The Knights of Columbus
   
• The Mayor´s Medal
   
• The City Council Medal
   
• The Chief´s Medal
   
• The American Legion/John Radd Post
   
• And State PBA Award
   
• Joseph M. Pizza Civic Association – Man of the Year Award
   
• SGMA Heroes Award – Commitment to Community Values
   
• Paterson Branch of N.A.A.C.P – Law Enforcement Community Service Award
   
• Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce – Detective of the Year Award
   
• PCTI - Hall of Fame

   

There is hardly a young person in all of Paterson who does not know Paterson Detective Steven Olimpio. What is most impressive is that the majority of these children and teenagers have come to respect and trust him as a friend and the parents of the city view him as someone who works hard, everyday, to make certain their children have the opportunity to become good citizens.

Detective Olimpio, in 1995, was appointed as the Police Athletic League Director for the entire city. In the past five years he has dramatically increased the membership from 300 children to 4,500. He has also increased the number of sports offered by the PAL from 2 to 12 serving both boys and girls.

He graduated from PCTI in 1981 as a Graphic Arts major, interested in the printing trade. With a strong foundation of education and citizenship learned at PCTI, his life journey led him to working as a highly honored and awarded police officer. Prior to taking over the PAL, he succeeded in reducing the use of drugs in the city and had been involved in approximately 5,000 narcotics related arrests.

He currently teaches the D.A.R.E. Program in several public and parochial schools in the City. He founded the "Explorers" group. This youth program is designed to recruit students from High School level and provide them with discipline and leadership skills in the community.
 

He has organized and administered the Safe Haven Program in Paterson with location at the PAL Gym and School # 6 to provide academic tutoring, filed trips and other recreational activities as well as musical and physical education instruction for the children of the City of Paterson.

He is a co-founder and instructor of the PAL Boot Camp. This program was developed through the Family Court system to help juvenile offenders obtain a sense of enhanced disciplining and improve their social behavior.

As the recipient of the "Law Enforcement Community Service Award", from the Paterson Branch of N.A.A.C.P., Olimpio said," This high school (PCTI) was one of the best things that happened to me as a teenager. The school, combined with my family, gave me the courage and the encouragement to become a community leader. I also want to thank my very understanding wife of 13 lucky years, Joan and my wonderful daughter Brianna. Thanks to everyone for their kindness in honoring me and therefore, honoring all of the people who helped me and continue to help me be a person who tries to change the world, one child at a time."