Patrick McCormack
Title/Position: Detective Captain, City of Yonkers Police Department
Town, State: Village of Hastings on Hudson, New York (Westchester County)
Tell us about yourself and your family life: Married to my wife Mary McCormack (Foley) and we have three children Emma, Patrick and Maura. We reside in the Village of Hastings on Hudson in Westchester County, NY. I was born and raised in the Bronx and I am one of four boys. My mother Teresa is originally from Leitrim and my father Charles (recently deceased in 2024) was from originally from Cavan. My parents settled in New York City after they were married and we lived in the Bronx for many years. I attended Mt. St. Michael Academy and then received a BA in Finance from Manhattan College in 1992. Throughout my childhood I played Gaelic Football for the New York Rangers. My family spent time on Sunday’s in Gaelic Park and we vacationed in the summer in East Durham, New York with many other Irish families from our area. I have been a member of the Pipes & Drums of the Police Emerald Society of Westchester County since 1998, and I serve as the band’s Assistant Bandmaster. My daughter Emma is currently a graduate student at Villanova University and will be receiving a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering. My son Patrick also attends Villanova University as a freshman and he is majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Irish Studies. Our youngest child Maura is a freshman high school student at The Ursuline School. Not to be left out is our dog Rory, who is an Irish Doodle and a big part of our family!
Tell us about your professional life:
I am a Detective Captain with the City of Yonkers Police Department. I currently serve as the Commanding Officer of our Detective Division and oversee the Major Case Squad, Special Victims Unit, Crime Scene Unit, Digital Forensic Unit, Cold Case Unit, Financial Crimes Unit, and our Forensic Science Laboratory. In addition I supervise our federal task force detectives assigned to the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force. Throughout my career I have been fortunate to work with exceptional police officers and detectives who work at the Yonkers Police Department. On September 11, 2001, I was a member of our Emergency Service Unit and responded to the World Trade Center, where I assisted in rescue and recovery operations. I have had the opportunity to work in many commands and units within the department and I particularly enjoy working on community outreach initiatives. In 2017, I created the Yonkers Force Youth Hockey program where members of the Yonkers Police Department teach ice hockey to underprivileged youth from Yonkers at no cost to the families. I have maintained close ties with the Aisling Irish Center on McLean Avenue throughout my career. This year we hosted our first “Senior Fraud Prevention Program” at the center, where detectives from our Financial Crimes Unit gave fraud prevention tips to seniors from the center.
What is your connection to Project Children?
In 2023, my son Patrick was fortunate to have been selected for the Mulcahy Scholarship. It was such an honor to him to have been selected for such a prestigious program. It gave Patrick an opportunity to see Ireland for the first time. He had heard many stories about Ireland during his youth from both sets of his Grandparents, who had immigrated to the United States from Ireland. It was a special time for us as a family as we travelled to Ireland to meet Patrick at the end of program. We met Brian Fahy of the Celtic Irish American Academy (CIAA) as well as the Mayor of Galway City. Patrick’s host family were incredible and treated him as one of their own during his stay in Ireland.
Do you have a favorite PC memory?
I have since become friends with Denis Mulcahy and I consider him a hero to the Irish and Irish-American community here in New York and abroad. The work that his family and organization has and continues to do is extraordinary and truly inspiring to me.
Tell us what it means to be a PC ambassador for the PC Picnic and 5k and the Move to Monaghan:
Being selected as a Project Children Ambassador is humbling to say the least. It’s an honor to be associated with Denis, his family, and those who administer the Project Children Program. I have personally seen what the program has meant to families here and abroad and it’s a legacy which will certainly continue for years to come. I look forward to assisting with many great events which will be happening in the near future to celebrate the Project Children!
