A police officer killed by 9/11-related cancer after working at the World Trade Center site in the days following the 2001 terrorist attacks was honored Tuesday with a street renaming in front of her family home in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn.
“Diane was one of the most loving and competent people you’d ever meet,” Chief of Special Operations Harry Wedin said at the event for Officer Diane Halbran at the corner of Greenwood Avenue and East 4th Street.
“If you look around you today you can see a lot of retired people from the [70th Precinct] and from the Brooklyn South Task Force,” he said. “And to get people to come back to an event when they’ve been retired for 20 years or longer just shows you how much Diane was loved by everybody that worked for her.”
The fallen cop’s niece, NYPD Deputy Inspector Megan O’Malley, also spoke at the renaming.
“I think a street renaming is just so wild,” she said of the portion of Greenwood Avenue redubbed Police Officer Diane F. Halbran Way. “It ensures someone’s always going to know my aunt’s name, her story, or at least parts of it.”
A portion of Greenwood Avenue was renamed Police Officer Diane F. Halbran Way to honor the fallen officer. Paul Martinka
Diane’s father, 93- year-old Arthur Halbran, holding the new street sign. Paul Martinka
Police stand near the sign during the street renaming ceremony. Paul Martinka
Halbran passed away from cancer four years ago. Paul Martinka
Diane’s niece Megan O’Malley is an active NYPD Deputy Inspector. Paul MartinkaHalbran died from cancer on Sept. 6, 2017, according to funeral records. She was 60.
“As she said even while dying, if given a second chance of whether to answer the call that day she’d have done it all the same,” the niece said. “All over again.”
