The Camden County Police Department this past week recognized two officers for going above and beyond to help someone in their time of need – Officers Steven Bordi and Uri Halle, a former Lakewood resident.

Officer Bordi started with the Camden County Police Department in 2013 and Officer Halle joined the department in 2017. Both serve in the Neighborhood Response Team in the southern half of the city.

On the morning of Feb. 14, Officer Bordi was approached by a resident who told the officer that a woman he knew was suicidal and was at home at that moment threatening to harm herself.

Officer Bordi immediately responded to the woman’s home, where he was joined by Officer Halle. The officers heard someone crying and several loud noises inside and entered the open door. They then observed a woman at the top of the stairs who was crying and holding a belt around her neck.

Officers Bordi and Halle engaged the woman using de-escalation techniques and were able to convince her to sit on the couch where they continued to talk to her to calm her down. The woman was despondent and described several personal issues to the officers, who sat with her and talked to her for nearly 20 minutes until EMS personnel arrived and transported her to the hospital for evaluation.

“The compassion and kindness displayed by Officers Bordi and Halle toward this woman epitomizes the motto of the Camden County Police Department – Service Before Self,” the Department said. “For their outstanding work to de-escalate a situation that could have had a tragic outcome, we honor them as Camden County Police Department Officers of the Week.”