To serve, protect ... and box

A police officer's job doesn't necessarily end just because the shift does. Police Officer Jason Morales extends that commitment to his off hours - and into the boxing ring.

At the end of each overnight shift, he sheds his uniform and badge, gets a few hours' sleep, then heads to the gym, where he laces up a pair of boxing gloves in the name of the Suffolk County Police Department. The endeavor is not simply an exercise in self-defense. About two years ago, Morales, 31, formed the Suffolk County Police boxing team, and he serves as captain and top recruiter.

"We have a core of dedicated and hardworking guys," said Morales, who's been a Fifth Precinct cop for 11 years. "We'd have guys come down and train for a big event, but then we'd lose them because there was so much time between fights. [Now] we are trying to build a team that can compete on a regular basis."

On May 7 at the Sheraton in Smithtown, Morales led a team of Suffolk police and correction officers taking on the New York City Police Department boxing team - which has a history of producing Golden Gloves champions and pro fighters. Before a sellout crowd of 850, Suffolk won five of the 13 matches. Morales, who boxes at 150 pounds, lost a close decision to his NYPD counterpart. His amateur record is 35-2, and on the SCPD team he's 2-1.

"Hey, I thought I won the fight," Morales said. "It's the first time I've lost in an inter-police competition. But the event was a huge success, and I think everyone had a good time." And, he said, "It's a great experience for our guys to box the NYPD."

A release from work

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Morales, who is married and has a 3-year-old, has been immersed in boxing for as long as he can remember. He began fighting at age 10 and twice reached the finals of the New York Golden Gloves. These days he finds it's a form of therapy: "For me, boxing is a great release from the job. It's an outlet. This is my recreation."

But it wasn't until his cousin, Kristian Vasquez, opened the Heavy Hitters Boxing Gym in Bohemia a few years ago that Morales was able to combine his career and his passion. The location was convenient - a few miles from the Fifth Precinct in Patchogue but also a central location for many officers who work throughout the county department.

And Morales said Vasquez embraced the idea. Now about 15 Suffolk officers train regularly at Heavy Hitters.

"The police officers are just like our other boxers here in the gym - they go through the same training regimen, and they all spar each other," said Vasquez, 30, a two-time Golden Gloves champion who offers a discount to officers who train at his gym. "We've had a few enter the Golden Gloves. If they had more time to train, I think some of them could have very successful amateur careers."

Some train just for fitness, and others fight only once, for the experience, and then move on. Morales hopes to build a team that will travel the country - as NYPD Boxing does - and compete against other police departments and civil servant teams. His team will next compete against the FDNY Boxing Team June 18 at Suffolk County Community College's Brentwood campus.

The proceeds from all of the Suffolk Police boxing events are earmarked for two charities: the Wounded Warriors Project, which assists severely injured members of the military, and Champions Change Lives, a local fund that pays the expenses for some children 13 and younger training as boxers.

John Moore, an officer for nine years, competed in the first police boxing event just to help raise money. Now, he's hooked. Moore, 31, reached the quarterfinals of this year's Golden Gloves tournament and won his 160-pound bout against the NYPD.

"I always loved boxing, was always a fan," Moore said. "But I never competed. When they asked me to box the first time, I thought it would be a good way to raise money. I had no idea what to expect. I'll admit it was a little intimidating at first, but they took care of us at Heavy Hitters. They brought me along, they worked with me. I went into the Golden Gloves last year, had some success, and I am definitely going to do it again."

Benefits on the job

For Morales and Moore, the benefits of boxing extend outside the ring.

On the job, "you never know what kind of situation you are going to roll into," Moore said. "But I know I am in good condition, and I know I can handle myself. Boxing, overall, has given me more confidence."

Morales added: "People challenge you on the job all the time . . . Boxing actually has given me a sense of calm. I can look at confrontations a little differently now."