Proffesional Ordnace, Hesse, and American Spirit Arms are all supposedly going under. None of them made a consiostently acceptable product and failed to meet customer service when it was needed.
Armalite will have the best fit and finish, but the wait is exceedingly long. Bushmaster, Rock River Arms, and DPMS are probably the most reliable and consistent companies to buy from. They are readily available from a variety of sources and have the most selection.
Cavarms is up and coming and have shown themselves to make a good receiver (the first good one using any sort of plastic), and they use mainly DPMS uppers on their complete rifles.
Colt has many, many fans, but thier quality and customer service has slipped in the last few years. In my opinion, they are just a name these days and not worth the trouble.
Olympic seems to have gotten better over the years and is a good choice, but would finish last on this list (or possibly exceeding Colt by a small margin). They are good, just not that good. Although if you get a good Oly, I don't think it will ever let you down.
Armalite, Rock River, Bushmaster, DPMS, Cavarms, Colt and Olympic are really the only ones you should even consider right now. You could spend a little more on a Knight's, a Wilson, or a Les Baer, but the differences and extras don't make up for the high price increase.
P.S. where in NY are you a cop?