Earlier this year, police officers Carlos Pacheco and Nelfori Ortiz, were working the nightshift in the 52nd Precinct when they received a call from dispatchers saying there had been a robbery in Sector George, a rough area north of Fordham Road and to the east of the Grand Concourse.

Be warned, the dispatcher said, the suspect is considered armed and dangerous.

Pacheco and Ortiz spotted a man running with a gun near 193rd Street and Valentine Avenue. They got out of their patrol car and gave chase on foot.

At some point, the suspect tossed his gun to the side, but the officers continued to give chase, eventually tackling him from behind, and arresting him.

Turns out, the suspect had discarded a high-powered “assault pistol” called an Intratec TEC-DC9, but known on the street simply as a “TEC-9,” loaded with 24 bullets.

Deputy Inspector James Alles, the commanding officer of the Five-Two, recounted this story at the 52nd Precinct Council’s annual breakfast two weeks ago. He then handed each officer a plaque and took a picture with them.

Alles repeated the ritual for eight other officers who either made big busts like Pacheco and Ortiz, or achieved new status, like Kevin Maloney, a longtime Five-Two officer who recently became a lieutenant and now works in Harlem.

Other officers receiving awards included: Erick Acevedo, Dominic Robinson, Michelle Diaz, Steven Irizarry, James Arneth, Thomas Maroney and Joseph Petrillo.

The breakfast is the one time of year the precinct recognizes the good work of its police officers, Alles said. Unfortunately, he added, the only other time New York City police officers usually receive official recognition is when they’ve been injured or killed in the line of duty.

Those are somber occasions. This was a festive affair and it also included civilian awards.

Deputy Inspector David Wong of the 52nd Precinct’s auxiliary force and receptionist Cheryl Hoyte, who you’ve met if you’ve ever walked into the precinct’s historic headquarters on Webster Avenue, both received awards for their service to the precinct. Longtime precinct council stalwart Corinna Casiano-Torres received a much-deserved award as well.

Activist Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter and Roberto Garcia, director of the Jerome-Gun Hill Business Improvement District, received awards for their work in association with the precinct.

The most touching moment came when Anthony Miller, 16, a Bronx high school student and a member of the NYPD Explorers youth unit, received an award and a donation for his football team, which is trying to raise money for a trip to Florida. (Garcia and a representative from Montefiore Medical Center each spontaneously ponied up $100 for Anthony’s trip.)

Anthony’s mother, Sonya, cried with pride and joy during the brief ceremony while snapping photos with a digital camera. “Words cannot describe how this feels,” she said. “It’s tough out there with all the problems going on. But all the years of worrying and trying to keep him off the street were worth it because of today.”