Greenwich Detective Receives August 'Officer Of The Month' Award

GREENWICH, CT — Det. Michael Rooney of the Greenwich Police Department recently received the Officer of the Month Award for August for his work on an attempted sex crimes case involving a 41-year-old man and a 13-year-old Greenwich student.

Last month, police said Rashad Tao Salaam, of Bridgeport, who is a school cafeteria worker, sent inappropriate text messages and tried to meet up with a minor in Greenwich to "engage in illegal sexual activity."

Rooney was assigned to the case.

"Det. Rooney conducted a complex and sensitive investigation expertly and professionally, and ensured that an alleged sexual predator in the community will face justice," the department said in a Facebook post announcing the award on Wednesday.

In a news release last month, police said detectives posed as the juvenile in order to set up a meeting with Salaam.

Police said on Aug. 13 around 3 p.m. GPD detectives performed an undercover operation in Greenwich by meeting Salaam at an agreed upon location. Police said Salaam arrived at the location and was "placed under arrest without incident."

"While many were involved in this investigation, Det. Rooney acted above and beyond the call of duty to bring this case to a successful conclusion," the GPD's Facebook post added. "Det. Rooney is commended for his diligence and professionalism. His actions bring great credit to himself and the Greenwich Police Department."