For Police Officer Robert Rodriguez, the proudest moments of his 26 years with the NYPD were not necessarily the biggest arrests. They were the times he helped someone who had nowhere else to turn.
Rodriguez marked his walkout from the 45th Precinct on Sept. 30, closing a career that included fighting crime, protecting dignitaries and tackling neighborhood problems that residents had lived with for years.
His determination earned him a nickname from former precinct commanding officer Johnny Orellana: “The Terminator.”
Rodriguez recalled learning of the nickname during a 2024 ceremony recognizing six precinct officers for exceptional service. Initially, he wondered whether it sounded a little violent. Orellana’s explanation was simpler: Rodriguez would hear the problem, put on his sunglasses and get to work.
His arrival at the precinct came at the request of then Captain Carlos Ghonz to address aggressive driving by tow trucks responding to accident scenes, Rodriguez said.
Detective Hannah Rivera later encouraged him to attend community council meetings, where he could hear complaints directly and build relationships with residents.
That connection helped turn neighborhood concerns into enforcement.
Working with elected offices and residents, Rodriguez said he helped remove hundreds of illegally abandoned vehicles, including stolen cars that could be returned to their owners.
One resident sent photographs of yellow cabs occupying a grassy area residents should have been able to enjoy. Rodriguez said enforcement cleared the vehicles.
He also recalled an operation coordinated with Captain Andrew Johnson and assistance from the MTA that removed 17 tractors with trailers and 20 other large trucks in one day.
But Rodriguez’s memories extend beyond towing and summonses. They include helping Rivera with an Easter celebration attended by more than 1,000 children, playing checkers at a holiday giveaway and losing chess matches to two young brothers.
Those encounters offered another way to serve the people behind the complaints.
“I loved the freedom I was given to do the most good possible for the community and the appreciation you all have shown for it,” Rodriguez said.
For the officer nicknamed “The Terminator,” that meant knowing when enforcement was necessary and when simply showing up mattered.
