Officer Kevin Reilly sits in silence thinking back to as far as he can remember, searching for the first thought that came across his mind in connection with dedicating his life to protecting and serving our country as a Police Officer. “When I was two years old I got lost and was found by a Mt. Kisco Police Lieutenant and I clearly remember this incident. Also, my father was a Police Officer for Port Authority for a short time and he might’ve talked to me about it when I was young.” He zones out trying to remember his father’s words. Reilly snaps back to reality trying to focus. While reminiscing his young adulthood he explains, “When I was 18 I became a volunteer firefighter and also joined the local ambulance corps. I found that I liked the excitement, helping people, and also dealing with people who were causing problems.” Reilly attended SUNY Cobleskill for two years then transferred to SUNY Brockport where he studied criminal justice. He sits there looking bored out of his mind as he remembers the classroom days of college. All of a sudden he jolts up recalling survival house, EVOC, and firearms. The “exciting and challenging” aspects of Police training. After college, he met Kristina Burkhart, now known as Kristina Reilly it all started on a blind date. Him being the wacky person he is, brought her to see “Silence of the Lambs.” Both scared out of their minds, they still managed to have a great time. As the date did lead to marriage. Kristina worked at the NWH and there being a security detail needed for the night, Reilly took it upon himself to take the job. Now, he would be juggling two jobs as he was a Mt. Kisco Park Ranger in the day and a security guard night. “It worked out perfectly because this experience taught me that I am able to work night shifts no problem.”

Eventually Reilly went to the Police Academy for four months and became a Mount Kisco Police Officer, now a Westchester County Police Officer. He imprints the brains of those around him with mesmerizing words. “I’ve been a cop since 1/15/1990, 27 years and counting. Any cop can tell you when they started like it’s their birthday. You never stop learning and if someone says they know everything then they aren't really a good cop.”  With a stern look Reilly continues with “4 yrs on the job you think you know it all and soon find out there is always that one case that has never been dealt with before and it's in your hands.” Reilly was overwhelmed with doubt in the process of becoming a Police Officer, but he pushed through and made it happen. “If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing.” He now grabs a tea before every shift, as he is a tea addict and heads to work to do what he loves. I’m sure if walk into the airport at any time of the day you can find Reilly rambling about anything. You would think it’s his first time being able to talk since birth hearing the amount of words that flow from his mouth within seconds. If he hears a song he likes he randomly starts singing. The funny thing is it’s music you wouldn’t expect him to know and then suddenly he’ll stop and start lecturing you for hours on one subject. Reilly’s kids may be annoyed sometimes with his random lectures, but they enjoy every second of them because they don’t know if that’s gonna be the last one for awhile.

Day in and day out their encounters are brief because he has to get all the sleep he can before getting back up to go to work again. He enjoys working around the clock because it is simply “in his blood.” In his lecture like tone he proceeds to say “I learned from my mother and my grandfather that working hard and helping others will make you a better person.” Most will say he’s a workaholic, but he honestly just needs the “overtime” which helps pay for his two kids he sent to college as well as necessities for the two other kids and wife he has at home. “Cops are fathers, brothers, sons, dads, cousins, uncles just like you but we are different because we deal with hell and heaven. We see lives saved and lives lost. We see hope and we see failure. We see people in their best and worst times. When it gets hard we rest our heads, say a prayer, pull ourselves up and start a new day.” Reilly has yet to fail with his inspiring words. Whenever he has a chance to teach you something new he doesn’t come close to falling short of that. He was in a situation where he could’ve ended up in a grave rather than his bed that night. Him and his sergeant were chasing someone who was believed to be armed and dangerous. Reilly made it to the suspect before his sergeant did. He went over the PA and advised the other officers what was happening. The suspect was reaching under his seat. “I repeatedly advised him to put his hands up. His movements gave me the impression that he was going to pull a gun on us.” He took aim at the suspect making sure he was not in crossfire with the sergeant or civilians. After Reilly was finished yelling in the PA, I’m sure he was very frightening, the suspect finally got out of the car and was put into custody. A pistol was found next to the driver’s seat. “He begged us not to charge him because he wanted to be a correction officer.” Reilly let him know that he will “have a great experience watching correction officers do their job from behind bars.” He makes sure the people he deals with get a lesson from him no matter what the case may be. From speeding, to almost making the worst mistake possible. He wants to change people’s lives for the better “I love my job, it’s like no other.”