Brooklyn school renamed after fallen NYPD Det. Rafael Ramos
NEW YORK — A school in Brooklyn was renamed Friday after NYPD Det. Rafael Ramos, who worked to keep the community safe before he was killed a decade ago.
P.S. 54 in Brooklyn is now the Detective Rafael Ramos School, a Magnet School of Environmental Science, Technology and Community Wellness. The renaming comes nearly 10 years after the 2014 murders of then-Officer Ramos and his patrol partner, Officer Wenjian Liu while on duty in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Ceremony held for renaming of Detective Rafael Ramos School in Bedford-Stuyvesant
The slain detective's widow, Maritza Ramos, says the ceremony made her emotional.
"There's a school that's going to live on way past all of us, and his legacy will continue forever. But also sad and missing him. So it's a mix of emotions. But this is an amazing day, amazing event. And we've been looking forward to this," she told CBS News New York's Hannah Kliger.
A police dog, called "Ralfie," was also named in his honor. The explosive detection K-9 works in the counterterrorism unit.
"He could sniff out, like, 11 different types of explosives. So, like, on a day-to-day functioning, we'll do any large events in the city," said Officer David Frino, who is partnered with Ralfie.
After the renaming, the Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation handed out about 300 bookbags stuffed with toys as part of an effort to continue to engage young people in the community.
Since Ramos' death, the NYPD and Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation have been working to build bridges.
"Rafael Ramos is a good friend of mine. And to culminate everything that has happened and has transpired throughout the years, we started off doing backpacks eight and a half years ago right in this neighborhood," said Jose Falero, Vice President and Co-Founder of the Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation.
Fallen NYPD officers leave lasting impact on communities
Ramos once also worked as a school safety officer on Staten Island and inspired others to follow in his footsteps.
"There's a child that he took care of in school, was so inspired by my husband that he became a cop just this year," said Maritza Ramos.
"He worked really hard to ensure that the relationship so positive between the NYPD and our schools," said Emma Velazquez, principal of the newly renamed school.
In May, CBS News New York reported on a new school in Dyker Heights which was renamed after Ramos' partner, Detective Liu. It became the first school in Brooklyn named after an Asian American.
"He sacrificed his life for protecting his community," his wife, Sandy Liu, said at the time.
Both detectives families said they were comforted by the lasting impact these schools will have on the youth.
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