NYPD Officer Alfredo Jeff, whose mom died this month after 23 years as a cop, carries a piece of hers with him.
Jeff, 25, received his late mother’s .9mm service revolver Friday in a 10th Precinct ceremony that served as a passing of the family’s law enforcement torch.
“I want to continue to help people exactly like she did,” said three-year veteran Jeff. “Just to have that firearm with me really means lot. It’s a big responsibility.”
His mother Deborah Garbutt, 50, died April 3 after a long battle against cancer when the disease spread into her lymph nodes.
Jeff, who works at the 81st Precinct in Brooklyn, said Garbutt provided a role model as both a parent and a fellow cop throughout her life.
“As a mother and a police officer, she was always that nice, caring woman,” Jeff said. “She was basically my best friend. She was a wonderful, genuine, caring person.
“She always wanted to listen in and give the best advice — as a mother and as a police officer.”
Garbutt died without any regrets about a career choice where she was forced to find her niche inside a largely male department.
“I knew she worked hard,” said Jeff. “She always talked about how if she would go through everything that she's done on the force again, she'd definitely do it. It made me look up to her.”
Jeff will not carry the weapon on duty, but will keep the .9mm in his precinct locker or his home for the rest of his life.
“My mother was a person who always wanted to contribute and to help others,” he said solemnly.