Pottstown honors Detective Michael J. Damiano as 2025 Police Officer of the Year

Mayor and police leadership presented the 2025 Police Officer of the Year award to Detective Michael J. Damiano at the June 3 Committee of the Whole meeting, praising his investigative work on gun‑violence and trafficking cases.

Narrative of work cited: The presentation materials and speakers credited Detective Damiano with joining the Pottstown Police Department in 2014, transferring to the detective division in 2021, and becoming a lead investigator on gun‑violence cases. Staff said he expanded investigations to target illegal firearm sources, including a 3D‑printing operation manufacturing ghost guns and conversion devices. The presentation described a major, multi‑county trafficking investigation tied to eight counties and 31 illegally purchased firearms; that probe was said to have produced 10 convictions with combined prison sentences in the range of 88 to 188 years and a primary offender sentence of roughly 20 to 42 years, per the materials read into the record.

Recognition and context: Presenters praised Damiano’s professionalism, investigative skills and mentorship to colleagues and noted he had received a law‑enforcement commendation from the Montgomery County District Attorney for exceptional service. Council and attendees offered congratulations during the presentation.

Limitations: The meeting record presented summary figures and credited local and county prosecutorial partners; the transcript records the presentation, not the underlying court files. The award and descriptive figures were read into the council record by staff as part of the ceremony.