NYC Housing Authority Police Department Police Officer William McNamara was born and raised in New York, New York, and Staten Island, New York. He was very family oriented, having four siblings ranging 14 years apart and many friends and neighbors in the Todt Hill Projects. McNamara’s father worked nights at the Post Office and his mother was an attentive stay-at-home mom who was very involved in her children’s activities. During his childhood, sports dominated McNamara’s day-to-day life, even being a competitive member of his high school track and field team. He was also very academically sound and joined SICC at the age of 17.
Having an interest in serving others and having been raised in an environment where nearly every role model was a policeman, fireman, or municipal employee, McNamara decided to become a police officer himself. He joined in November of 1973, at just 20 years old. He served in PSA 2, 3 Brooklyn, New York prior to the 1975 layoffs, and then rehired PSA 6 in Manhattan North. McNamara regarded his career as a noble profession which afforded him a lifestyle where he was able to meet interesting people and assist others each and every day. His plan was to retire at 40 and enter the next chapter of his life, believing his experience could be leveraged in other capacities. McNamara was considered an active police officer with many arrests, no civilian complaints, and even earned a Medal of Honor for his brief service. One day, he was shot twice in an unprovoked attack, sustaining T12 paraplegia and heart and lung lacerations, confining him to a wheelchair. While in rehab, McNamara was aided by a fellow police officer who had been the victim of a nearly identical event months earlier. This police officer was among those who supported McNamara as well as his family, friends, and other police officers. He later departed rehab ready to resume his life and shortly thereafter attended graduate school and reentered the workforce where he had a fulfilling 30 year career as a procurement director with a pharmaceutical company.
Currently, McNamara is a part time employee and volunteer with Junior Achievement, teaching financial literacy concepts to grades K-12. Over the last year, he has focused on Budget Simulations classes a couple days per week for middle and high school students. He is also an active member of his local parish Ascension as well as an organization called the Police Self Support Group, where he advocates for improved treatment for disabled and over 63-year-old police officers. Intermittently, McNamara also mentors new spinal cord patients at his local hospital. In the future, he is excited to continue to watch his daughter, Esmeralda, grow and realize her potential. She is currently a college student studying accounting, a diligent volunteer and worker, and has had a full plate since her childhood. McNamara is also excited about his work with Junior Achievement and the happiness it brings him to have an impact on children. Receiving a mortgage-free smart home from Tunnel to Towers will allow McNamara to navigate his home more independently and comfortably as he continues to age. He would like others to know that he is always ready for a new challenge and has the need to contribute to society, despite his limitations. While no longer being able to serve as a police officer, he is ready and able to serve in society.
