On October 25, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) held a promotion ceremony at the Queens Police Academy, where nearly 200 officers were honored for their advancements. Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon presented each officer with their new badges and certificates, including over a dozen Asian American officers. Among the highlighted promotions were two Chinese American captains, Ronald Cheng and Sam Zheng, both of whom were elevated to the rank of Deputy Inspector.

In total, 172 officers received promotions, with 13 being Asian American, who earned ranks such as Detective, Sergeant, and Lieutenant. Ronald Cheng and Sam Zheng stood out as the highest-ranking Asian American officers promoted during the ceremony. Cheng joined the NYPD in July 2005 and, throughout his nearly 20-year career, has served in both the Patrol Services Bureau and the Housing Bureau.

Starting off his career, Cheng patrolled the 122nd precinct for five years before spending another four years as a Sergeant in the 71st precinct. After being promoted to Lieutenant, he was assigned to special operations in the 77th precinct. In his most recent role over the past three years, Cheng has served as an Assistant Chief in the fourth, fifth, and sixth sectors of the Housing Bureau, currently overseeing operations in the fourth precinct, which includes numerous government buildings housing a significant Chinese American population.

Cheng, a graduate of SUNY Stony Brook with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, is fluent in Cantonese. He expressed that his promotion reflects a validation of all the hard work he has put in. Reflecting on his journey to becoming the first Chinese American Deputy Inspector in the fourth precinct, Cheng shared that he decided to join the police force after experiencing victimization as a youth. During his college years, he was assaulted on the street, which fueled his desire to “do something for the community” so that others wouldn’t have to experience similar feelings of helplessness.

At 42 years old, Cheng noted that his parents immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong in the late 1970s, and he was born in New York. On this momentous day, many of Cheng’s family members were present to support him. As is customary, Cheng may be reassigned soon after his promotion. He indicated that he plans to continue fulfilling his current duties while awaiting future directives. Cheng encouraged all Asian Americans, stating, “Keep working hard; there are many opportunities. As long as you persist, you will see results.”

Also present at the ceremony was Mo Hu, the founding president of the Asian American Police Officers Association (AAPEX). Hu highlighted the significance of Cheng and Zheng’s promotions, noting that one was born in New York while the other immigrated at 14. He emphasized that their hard work had contributed to the growth of Asian American officers within the NYPD. Since 2019, the association has supported the professional development of Asian officers, with 25 out of 61 members achieving the rank of Deputy Inspector and above, 19 of whom were promoted within the last three years.

That day, other officers such as Qiang Chen and Eric Liang were promoted to the rank of probationary Sergeant, alongside Karyn B. Kim, Sonia C. Yi, Vincent Ching, Edward Lam, Jack Deng, Nicholas Hom, and Monica Chong, among others.