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Friends recall Dunkirk native after sudden passing

Stephen Promber

Whether as a member of the Jamestown Police Department or in retirement, Stephen Promber always craved movement. And when he took on a project, be it helping those battling addiction while a member of the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force or starting up a business with his brother after leaving the department, Promber did them “110 percent of the way.”

In recalling the Dunkirk native, many of his friends and former co-workers note he was the heart of the team.

“Steve would always see the humanity in people,” said Justin Burnham, a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security and who worked alongside Promber during narcotics investigations. “Even if it was someone accused of a serious crime, he treated them as a human being. He cared about them.”

It was those instincts that helped Promber climb the JPD ladder, from his hiring in April 1997 where he started off on patrols to becoming detective in early 2008. He served on the local task force in addition to the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force. And even after retiring in 2016, Promber became a part-time member of the Ellicott Police Department, ensuring he never strayed too far from fellow officers he had befriended and those who sought treatment.

“He wanted to do everything,” said Paul Abbott, president of the Jamestown School Board and former lieutenant of the police department with Promber. “He really believed in what he was doing. He wanted to make a difference.”

Stephen Promber, 1966-2019

Promber, a former U.S. Marine and member of the Jamestown Police Department for 19 years, died unexpectedly March 19 at Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk. He was 52.

Abbott, like most who spoke to the newspaper last week, said he was shocked to learn of Promber’s death. He said the two were together almost every day while in the narcotics division. Though technically his boss as an investigative commander, Abbott said Promber was the heart of the task force and helped facilitate coordination with local and federal agencies on drug investigations.

“Steve was very intense and very passionate about the job and police work,” Abbott said. “It was probably a calling more than a job decision. … You could tell that he enjoyed the work.”

“I was stunned,” he said when told Promber had died that morning. “I’m still stunned. Steve was a guy so full of life. He was just a happy person. Even being retired two years we still talked a lot.”

One particular moment stands out to Abbott in his years working with Promber. He said the two were working undercover one day when a high-speed vehicle pursuit approached their location. Though wearing “plain clothes” and in an unmarked police vehicle, Abbott said Promber was eager to join the chase.

“They started coming our way and he just became so excited about the whole thing,” Abbott said. “We fell in behind as the pursuit went by. The (suspect) got out and ran into this swampy field near Busti. We were in plain clothes, but Steve didn’t care. He jumped out and runs in this knee-high mud. … He was all buzzed the rest of the day. It said a lot about him.”

Abbott said incident only further showed that Promber “never stopped being excited for the job.”

Neil Bogosian graduated from the Sheriff’s Academy with Promber in 1995. He said when he became a narcotics detective with the Jamestown Police Department, Promber became a mentor to him.

“He was just a real unique guy. I learned a lot from him,” said Bogosian, who is still a detective with the Jamestown Police Department assigned to the Drug Enforcement Agency in Buffalo.

Bogosian noted that Promber truly believed in helping those he came across while a narcotics investigator. When someone battling drug addiction expressed a desire to get clean, he said Promber helped them find treatment.

“He cared about these people,” Bogosian said. “It wasn’t always about making arrests and getting the stats, he cared about them.”

Burnham noted Promber’s sense of humor and proclivity to help the very people he came across during drug investigations. The pair got to know each other around 2013 through the city’s drug task force.

“Steve had a lot of passion,” Burnham said. “Working as a federal investigator, one thing I noticed working with him is that he had a drive like no one I ever met before. He would take on leadership roles, and he did so because it was a lot of fun.”

“He drove that train,” he continued. “He had a lot of passion and kept people on track.”

During his retirement party, Abbott said Promber took him aside and told him to look at his own future. “He told me ‘You’ve done enough here. You need to think about the next phase of your life.’ While I didn’t retire right away, it definitely echoed in my head.”

A fan of the Cleveland Browns and hunting, Promber had many passions. He created Promber Brothers LLC where he was co-owner and operator of Can Kings in Fredonia and Irving.

But even in retirement, the Dunkirk native kept an eye on public service. Prior to his death, Promber was the Republican candidate for a Second Ward seat on the Dunkirk City Council.

“It’s sad that we are having to look for another individual. However, with the unexpected loss of Stephen Promber, we’ve been placed in this predicament,” said Kevin Muldowney, Dunkirk Republican Party chairman. “It’s been a long time, but we have a really exciting ticket this year, and we’d like to offer the opportunity to fill the large void left by Mr. Promber.”

Promber is survived by his wife, Tracy; his children, Kaitlin and Ryan; his parents, Stephen and Judith; his sisters, Carolynn and Stephanie; and a brother, Marcus. A funeral was held March 23 in Dunkirk.

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