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This award is
to recognize the efforts of an individual with the rank of patrol officer,
whether assigned to our Patrol Division or one of our special units, who has
demonstrated exceptional dedication in the performance of his/her duties during
the previous month. This could be from either a single incident or event, or
from consistently performing at a high level during the entire month. The award
is intended to recognize the efforts of officers that may not necessarily rise
to the level of a commendation. February 2010 This month’s LPD "Officer of the Month" is Officer Michael O’Connell, who is currently assigned to the Third Division. Officer O’Connell was nominated for this honor by Captain Leonard Desmarais, and this nomination was also seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s. In his written nomination, Captain Desmarais stated that “Officer O’Connell has been a hard worker since joining the department. Whether in a one or two officer unit, he is always productive. During the month of January, Officer O’Connell was either the arresting officer, or one of the arresting officers in twenty-five arrests. He maintains a good knowledge of what is occurring on his route as well as whom the possible suspects could be when an incident occurs.” He further mentioned that Officer O’Connell is also a member of both the LPD Honor Guard and the Special Response Team. In his response to Captain Desmarais’ nomination, Lieutenant Michael Vail, Third Division Commanding Officer, stated that “Officer O’Connell is a great choice for "Officer of the Month". He has a great work ethic and takes pride in working his route.”
January 2010 This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Peter Panacopoulos, who is currently assigned to the First Division. Officer Panacopoulos was nominated for this honor by Captain Leonard Desmarais, and this nomination was also seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s. In his written nomination, Captain Desmarais described several recent outstanding efforts by Officer Panacopoulos. On December 29, 2009, Officer Panacopoulos and other officers responded to Albany Terrace on a report of an armed robbery with a handgun. While searching for the suspects, Officer Panacopoulos found an individual trying to hide alongside a nearby building. He detained this suspect, who was subsequently identified by the victims as the party that had brandished the handgun during the robbery attempt. Later during that same shift, Officer Panacopoulos observed a motor vehicle infraction, began to follow the car, and learned after running the plate that it was a stolen vehicle. According to Captain Desmarais, Officer Panacopoulos then followed the vehicle while waiting for additional units. Before additional units could arrive, the suspect vehicle pulled into the lot of a bar on Washington Street and Officer Panacopoulos pulled in behind it, and kept the stolen car and its occupants from fleeing. He was soon assisted by other units and the operator was placed in custody. The passenger, who was intoxicated, was found to be carrying a loaded firearm and he too was placed in custody. On January 3, 2010, Officer Panacopoulos and his partner observed a party near the vehicles behind the Lynnway U-Haul. This general area has been an ongoing problem, due to numerous incidents of trespassing, break-ins, larcenies, assaults, public drinking and intoxication. An investigation led to the arrest of a suspect for trespassing. This individual admitted that he was trying to get blankets out of the U-Haul trucks so he could sleep there. Captain Desmarais further stated that during the past few months, months Officer Panacopoulos has made several self initiated warrant and trespassing arrests in this same general area in an attempt to address the ongoing problem. As stated by Captain Desmarais, “Officer Peter Panacopoulos conducts himself in a professional manner and takes pride in his appearance when he is representing the department. He does his best at the big calls such as the previously mentioned armed robbery and he makes the same effort with the little things like the problem with the homeless in the area of the Lynnway U-Haul.”
This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Paul Cotter, who is currently assigned to the Second Division. Officer Cotter was nominated for this honor by Captain Leonard Desmarais, and this nomination was also seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s. In his written nomination, Captain Desmarais discussed several incidents during the past month in which Officer Cotter played a key role. On November 13th, Officer Cotter and his partner were involved in the heroic rescue of a group of individuals from a house fire on Lyman Street. Also, while working a recent detail, Officer Cotter spotted and stopped a motor vehicle with two unarmed robbery suspects. It was discovered that these individuals had just stolen the purse of an elderly woman.
Captain Desmarais also stated that in
addition to such larger incidents, “Officer Cotter takes care of the everyday
things as well. He is a conscientious and diligent officer who patrols his route
well, making stops at all hours.”
This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Detective Stephen Withrow, who is currently assigned to the Gang Unit. Detective Withrow was nominated for this honor by Sergeant Edward Nardone, and this nomination was also seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s. In his
written nomination, Sergeant Nardone highlighted some of the work by Detective
Withrow over the course of the past month, including the following:
As stated by Sergeant Nardone, “Although he understands that it was only through the coordinated efforts of several officers that successful outcomes were achieved in the above listed incidents, Detective Withrow continues to be a center point of quality police work.” He further stated that “Detective Withrow possesses strong professional investigative skills that have allowed many difficult cases to be solved.”
This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Michael DiMeglio who is currently assigned to the Third Division. Officer DiMeglio was nominated for this honor by Lieutenant Michael Vail, and this nomination was also seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s. In his written nomination, Lieutenant Vail stated that he was nominating Officer DiMeglio for his overall work ethic and not one particular incident. He said that Officer DiMeglio works the downtown area in Car 10 and Car 14, which is one of the busiest routes in the city. As stated by Lieutenant Vail, “Officer DiMeglio has a strong work ethic and has been involved in over 25 arrests in the month of September. He has made the extra effort to get to know the good and bad people on his route, which I saw first-hand when walking the Union and Chestnut Street area with him last month. Officer DiMeglio’s hard work and route ownership has been noticed and is appreciated by his peers, supervisors and the people that live on his route.” Lieutenant Vail also said that Officer DiMeglio received a letter of appreciation in August for his professional and empathetic response to a person that was the victim of a minor crime and that he has made a difference on his route by addressing serious crimes as well as quality of life issues.
This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Timothy Nerich who is currently assigned to the Third Division. Officer Nerich was nominated for this honor by Lieutenant David Brown, and this nomination was also seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s. In his written nomination, Lieutenant Brown explained that during the summer months, several Third Division officers focused on quality of life issues in the downtown area and said that these officers continue to address the chronic problems which exist in many of the downtown locations. He further stated that “although these assignments are not as glamorous as other police duties, the efforts of the officers certainly make a difference.” According to Lieutenant Brown, “there are many officers who do an excellent job dealing with these issues; however Officer Timothy Nerich, who is assigned to Car 14, stands out.” As stated by Lieutenant Brown, “In addition to his efforts in the downtown area, Officer Nerich consistently makes solid contributions. Recently, while assigned to the First Division, he assisted with the arrest of a shooting suspect, who violently resisted. Officer Tim Nerich has a strong work ethic, and whatever the assignment is, he always follows it through.”
This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Paul Wonoski who is currently assigned to the First Division. Officer Wonoski was nominated for this honor by Lieutenant Chris Reddy and Lieutenant Dennis Flynn, and this nomination was also seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s. In his written nomination, Lieutenant Reddy stated that “Officer Wonoski consistently conducts himself in an exemplary manner while working the busiest route in the city. While performing his duties he has shown a strong grasp of legal principles and excellent investigative skills, along with above average problem solving abilities.” He further relayed that Officer Wonoski maintains a strong grasp of the impact players on his route and practices route ownership as part of his excellent work ethic. Lieutenant Reddy went on to describe one specific incident in which he felt that Officer Wonoski was instrumental in the arrest of an armed and violent individual. In May of 2009, Officer Wonoski responded to several incidents of Domestic Threats and Witness Intimidation. The suspect in those incidents was identified by the victim, who also reported that this individual was known to carry firearms. She was able to provide only a partial plate listing and a description of his car. Officer Wonoski recognized the potential danger of a suspect who was believed to be armed and repeatedly engaged in acts of domestic abuse along with other criminal activity. He sought the assistance of Sergeant Shinnick in obtaining a list from the Registry of Motor Vehicles of vehicles registered in Lynn that were of a make and model consistent with that described by the victim. He then compared the list with the partial plate and came up with a match. Officer Wonoski conducted a license check, identified the suspect under an alias name, and then sought the assistance of Detective Ferrari in preparing a photo array. He showed this array to the victim, and she was able to identify him as the same individual who she had reported previously. As a result of Officer Wonoski’s initiative, it was learned that this suspect had two other alias' and he was wanted on multiple outstanding warrants for drug, motor vehicle and other offenses, in addition to the domestic incidents that Officer Wonoski investigated. Over a period of several weeks Officer Wonoski continued to follow up on this investigation and pursue more information on the suspect. He then shared the information he developed with other officers so that they would be aware of the risk posed by this violent individual. On the morning of June 8th, the suspect was located at his home, and because of the effort put forth by Officer Wonoski, the responding officers were aware that this individual was likely armed and posed a high risk to their safety. As a result, a search warrant was sought and an SRT deployment was conducted to locate and arrest him at his home. During the search the suspect attempted to conceal himself, but he was successfully apprehended and a large quantity of drugs and several firearms were recovered from his residence. Although he was not present at the arrest, Lieutenant Reddy and Lieutenant Flynn believe that this violent criminal was apprehended without injury to any police officer or member of the public, and a quantity of drugs and illegal firearms were seized, because of the persistent effort of Officer Wonoski. As stated by Lieutenant Reddy, “his dogged determination in gathering information, along with his willingness to share the knowledge he developed with so many other officers, resulted in the removal of a career violent criminal from the streets. We therefore believe that Officer Wonoski should be recognized as the Officer of the Month for August. “
This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Robert Avery who is currently assigned to the Second Division. Officer Avery was nominated for this honor by Captain Leonard Desmarais, and this nomination was seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s. In his written nomination, Captain Desmarais stated that “Officer Avery could have received this award on any given month since the inception of this recognition.” He went on to say that Officer Avery has been commended three times this year for the outstanding work he has done with his fellow officers, and that he has been involved with the seizure and removal of at least half a dozen firearms from the streets this year. Captain Desmarais cited two recent incidents in which Officer Avery played an integral role. On June 8th, an armed and dangerous suspect on Carlton Street was taken into custody and several weapons were seized. He also referenced an incident on June 23rd, in which Officer Avery played a major part in the apprehension of a dangerous individual, which included the seizure of another firearm. According to Captain Desmarais, Officer Avery works hard to combat prostitution during the early morning hours, and is a regular enforcer of the city’s Youth Protection Ordinance. As stated by Captain Desmarais, “Officer Avery is a team player who is respected by other working officers for his initiative and his back up.”
This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Craig Fountain who is currently assigned to the Third Division. Officer Fountain was nominated for this honor by Lieutenant Michael Vail “for his outstanding work ethic and job performance” and this nomination was seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s.
In his nomination, Lieutenant Vail wrote that
“Officer Fountain is assigned to one of the busiest routes in the city and is a
conscientious worker who has made an extra effort to get to know the key impact
players on his route.” According to Lieutenant Vail, “Officer Fountain knows who
these individuals are, and addresses the various problems on his route with
professionalism and dedication to duty.” He further explained that Officer
Fountain continues to make an effort, especially in the Union Street area, to
address the problems of drunks and prostitution. As stated by Lieutenant Vail,
“Officer Fountain routinely makes arrests for the minor violations on his route
that affect the quality of life in the Union Street area. Officer Fountain
continually deals with the unsavory characters that nobody wants to deal with,
and has been involved in over forty arrests during the months of April and May.
“
This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Christopher Hagerty who is currently assigned to the Second Division. Officer Hagerty’s nomination for this honor was submitted by Lieutenant Peter Holey, and was seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s. In his written nomination, Lieutenant Holey stated that “the nomination is not based on one outstanding incident, but rather on the fact that Officer Hagerty consistently performs on an outstanding level.” According to Lieutenant Holey, Officer Hagerty has volunteered to work in an unmarked capacity on the Second Division. He further explained that this assignment comes with the expectation that the officer is “self motivated, has a diligent work ethic and will produce a significant amount of arrests.” As stated by Lieutenant Holey, “Officer Hagerty has almost single handedly suppressed the prostitution activity during the early morning hours. The unmarked program on the morning division has recorded fifty-four arrests to date, including twenty-three prostitution arrests.” Lieutenant Holey further wrote that Officer Hagerty also maintains an intimate knowledge of his regularly assigned route. This knowledge led to the April 3, 2009 arrest of a suspect for firearms, kidnapping and drug charges. To date, in calendar year 2009, Officer Hagerty has been listed as the arresting officer on sixty-three separate incidents.
This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Detective Cristine Petruzziello who is currently assigned to the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit. Detective Petruzziello’s nomination for this honor was submitted by Lieutenant Marie Hanlon, and was seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s. In her written nomination, Lieutenant Hanlon noted the recent convictions and subsequent sentencing of two dangerous sex offenders as described below, which were largely due to the efforts of Detective Petruzziello. On January 6, 2007, Detective Petruzziello was contacted after officers received information that a female was reporting a rape. She interviewed the victim at length, interviewed all possible witnesses, obtained a search warrant for two locations which were crime scenes, collected medical and other evidence, and eventually arrested and charged the suspect with two counts of rape, assault and battery and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute within a school zone. This individual had assaulted young female victims in the past and, in fact, again committed a rape while awaiting trial on this case. Detective Petruzziello’s diligence in this case included contacting other victims who had previously not wanted to testify, as well as assisting with the preparation of this case for prosecution. According to Lieutenant Hanlon, a jury recently found the defendant guilty and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. She further stated that “this was a huge victory, as he is a frightening repeat offender.” On June 21, 2007, a Lynn resident came into the station to report that his son had been sexually assaulted. Detective Petruzziello immediately interviewed the young male victim due to concerns for his safety and planned a ruse to locate the suspect, so he could be arrested and charged with this violence crime. During the investigation, Detective Petruzziello encountered many obstacles, including witnesses who were extremely difficult to deal with, let alone interview. During the first trial, the jury could not reach a verdict and the week-long event ended in a hung jury. The case was retried several months later. According to Lieutenant Hanlon, Detective Petruzziello “went above and beyond, by attempting to get additional information for the prosecution during trial, sometimes during off duty hours.” As a result of her efforts, this individual was found guilty the second time around and was sentenced to six years in prison. As stated by Lieutenant Hanlon, “Because of the hard, persistent work of Detective Petruzziello, two extremely dangerous and violent sex offenders will be off the streets for a long time. Detective Petruzziello consistently displays concern for these victims and works every angle, leaving no stone unturned, when she investigates these serious crimes.
This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Michael Hanlon who is currently assigned to the First Division. In his written nomination, Lieutenant Flynn stated that he and Lieutenant Reddy were “singling out Officer Hanlon for his continuing dedication to duty, his work ethic, professionalism and outstanding job performance,” and then described two incidents involving Officer Hanlon. On February 27, 2009, Officer Hanlon, along with Officer Mark Holey (Car 16) and Officers Robert Sirois and James Daley (Car 14), responded to the area of 137 Empire Street on a report of a group of youths checking car doors. Due to the combined efforts of the officers at the scene, one suspect, who was armed with a loaded handgun, was placed into custody for firearms charges. A second suspect was found to have several shotgun shells in his pocket, and was placed in custody for Possession of Burglarious Tools and Possession of Ammo without an FID Card. A third suspect, who was eventually found hiding in the vehicle in which all three suspects were earlier observed exiting, was placed into custody for several outstanding W.M.S. warrants. An earlier incident took place on September 30, 2008. After hearing that Officer Russ Gokas had responded to 25 Pendexter Street on a report of a past B&E, Officer Hanlon informed him that while traveling on Pendexter Street earlier that morning, he observed a male party who he recognized as a known criminal, acting suspiciously. Officer Hanlon further informed Officer Gokas that he attempted to keep an eye on the individual, but he disappeared on a nearby street. Officer Hanlon was also aware that there had been several recent B&E’s in that particular neighborhood. Officer Gokas noted Officer Hanlon’s observations in his report. As a result of this additional information supplied by Officer Hanlon describing the suspicious activity of this suspicious individual, Detective Tim Ferrari was able to tie him, along with a second suspect to the B&E on Pendexter Street, as well as to four other house breaks in the area The defendants were subsequently charged with the five house breaks and some of the stolen property was recovered and returned to the victims. According to Lieutenant Flynn, “This officer comes to work every shift and gives 100%. He also takes great pride in his work ethic and the way he does his job. Officer Hanlon also demonstrates that even off-duty, he is very observant of suspicious activity or a known criminal lurking in a neighborhood.” As stated by Lieutenant Flynn, “We believe that Officer Hanlon would be an excellent choice for Officer of the Month and is deserving of this recognition.”
February 2009 This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Michael Kmiec who is currently assigned to the First Division. Officer Kmiec nomination for this honor was submitted by Lieutenant Chris Reddy and Lieutenant Dennis Flynn, and was seconded by many of our other CO’s/OIC’s. In his written nomination, Lieutenant Reddy described three recent incidents involving Officer Kmiec: On December 9, 2008, Officer Kmiec was on patrol in the area of Boston and Franklin Streets when he witnessed a male party enter a car with New Hampshire plates. The officer knew that this individual had recently been released from jail and had a criminal history that included gun and drug charges. Officer Kmiec’s observations led him to believe that a drug transaction was taking place and he stopped the vehicle after the suspect exited the car. The driver of the vehicle was subsequently arrested for Operating after Suspension and Possession of Class B- crack cocaine. The driver also admitted that he just purchased the drugs from the suspect, and as a result, criminal complaints were sought against this individual for Distribution Class B. As stated by Lieutenant Reddy, “the arrest of the driver was particularly satisfying, as he had repeatedly filed complaints against several different officers in recent months after they questioned him for engaging in suspicious activity in the downtown area.” On December 27, 2008, Officer Kmiec was working C-10 and patrolling in the area of the 7-Eleven at Fayette and Essex Streets, when he observed multiple people running out of the store and across the lot. He pulled into the lot and approached the store where he observed two known gang members inside the store acting suspiciously. The store clerks made no comment to him. As Officer Kmiec approached the suspects alone, they engaged in hostile and confrontational behavior. As he attempted to pat frisk one, the other engaged in loud and belligerent conduct in an apparent attempt to distract him. Officer Kmiec continued to engage them until backup units arrived. These two suspects were subsequently arrested for disorderly conduct. Some time later the store clerks notified officers that these suspects had assaulted several customers with a firearm. A video of the incident was recovered from the store owner the following morning and the charges against these two suspects were amended to include Assault D/W and Carrying a Firearm w/o a License. On December 29, 2008, Officer Kmiec was again working a one-man unit when he responded to Cesar’s Palace on Buffum St. to assist C-14 with a robbery investigation. He located the suspect’s vehicle nearby and notified the investigating officers. They brought the victim to the scene and he subsequently identified the suspect. During the investigation the suspect fled on foot and attempted to toss a folded dollar bill containing cocaine. Officer Paul Wonoski apprehended the suspect; and he and Officer Kmiec engaged in a physical struggle with him until he was secured in hand cuffs. The drugs were also recovered.
January 2009 This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Detective Timothy Ferrari who is currently assigned to CID. Detective Ferrari was nominated for this honor by Captain Leonard Desmarais, which was seconded by Lieutenant Marie Hanlon, as well as many of our other CO’s/OIC’s In his written nomination, Captain Desmarais described two recent incidents involving Detective Ferrari. Earlier in the month, Detective Ferrari observed a party walking down Washington Street, and believed him to be the same individual who had robbed St. Jean’s Credit Union twice that week. His subsequent investigation resulted in the suspect confessing to the two robberies. In the second incident described by Captain Desmarais, Detective Ferrari’s investigation into the ongoing theft of money from the school lunch receipts at Lynn Tech led to the arrest of a suspect and improvements in how the lunch receipts are now handled. Captain Desmarais stated that “Detective Ferrari has always been a very diligent officer and could have been a worthy nominee several times over.” As stated by Lieutenant Hanlon, “Detective Ferrari is a very hard working officer, both regarding his detective duties and also when he is in uniform.”
December 2008 This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Detective Ross Panacopoulos who is currently assigned to S.I.U. Detective Panacopoulos was nominated for this honor by Sergeant Richard Carrow, and was seconded by many of our CO’s/OIC’s In his written nomination, Sergeant Carrow stated that Detective Panacopoulos is always a very dedicated and conscientious officer who is a tremendous asset to the department. He further stated that as a member of the S.I.U, Detective Panacopoulos has developed into a very experienced and talented investigator who has displayed a knack for developing and maintaining informants. Most recently, he was the lead investigator into the Contreras Market gaming operation, which was a 2-month ongoing investigation. According to Sergeant Carrow, Detective Panacopoulos was able to incorporate the selling of illegal prescription narcotics, as well as the illegal gaming activities, which entitles the department to pursue asset forfeiture proceedings against monies we seized. Sergeant Carrow further stated that Detective Panacopoulos was deliberate and thorough, and did an outstanding job on this investigation.
November 2008 This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Detective Michael Kelter, who is currently assigned to S.I.U. Detective Kelter’s nomination for this honor was submitted by Sergeant Richard Carrow, and was also seconded by many of our CO’s/OIC’s In his written nomination, Sergeant Carrow stated that during the past month, Detective Kelter had been assigned several illegal dumping cases on and around the Lynnway area that had been a source of costly clean-ups to the DPW. “Although not the most glamorous of assignments, Detective Kelter handled all of them, and successfully solved them, to the great satisfaction of DPW officials.” Sergeant Carrow also reported that most recently, Detective Kelter was the affiant of a search warrant at a Bloomfield Street residence, where officers seized over 45 grams of heroin, 15 grams of oxycontin, marijuana, and $7,800 in cash. The two target suspects, who are reported members of the Soldiers Gang, are being held on $50,000 bail.
October 2008 This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer John Vautour, who is currently assigned to the First Division. Officer Vautour’s nomination for this honor was submitted by Lieutenant David Brown, and was also seconded by many of our CO’s/OIC’s In his written nomination, Lieutenant Brown described the September 30, 2008 incident when Officer Vautour witnessed an individual fire a handgun at two people on Lawton Avenue and then flee in a waiting car. Officer Vautour immediately began a pursuit of the suspect vehicle in his cruiser, broadcast this information to other units, and then initiated a foot pursuit when the suspects abandoned their vehicle. These individuals were subsequently captured and taken into custody and a firearm was seized, largely due to the efforts of Officer Vautour. In a related email I received seconding this nomination; Lieutenant Flynn mentioned a letter that had been forwarded to him by Detective McCollin, who received praise for Officer Vautour for his professional response to a Colonial Avenue residence following a report of a B&E.
September 2008 This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Ralph Sirois, who is currently assigned to the Third Division. Officer Sirois was nominated for this honor by Captain Leonard Desmarais (which was also seconded by many of our CO’s/OIC’s), who described in great detail the consistent high level of professionalism and dedication to duty exhibited by Officer Sirois every day. In his written nomination, Captain Desmarais stated that Officer Ralph Sirois is “a very consistent performer who puts in a full 8 hours work for 8 hours pay.” He further explained that a check of the LPD booking system verified that Officer Sirois was listed as the arresting officer 15 times during the last month, and a total of 80 times during the past year. According to Captain Desmarais, “Officer Sirois constantly patrols his assigned routes (2 days in Car 12 and 2 days in Car 16) and has developed an excellent knowledge of who the players are on his routes”. He added that Officer Sirois has used this knowledge to solve crimes before they are even reported. Captain Desmarais then described an incident on 8/25/08 when Officer Sirois observed parties entering a pawn shop on Boston Street with four industrial-type chainsaws. He stopped and identified these individuals as suspects in a number of previous incidents, and seized the chainsaws. Further investigation showed that the chainsaws had been stolen from a DCR site in Saugus. Captain Desmarais also stated that Officer Sirois frequently provides information to other officers on parties that have stopped or are running for warrants and license checks; he speaks up for calls on his route; he makes himself available to back up other officers; and routinely comes on the air to report to a call not on his route as his assigned shift ends. According to Captain Desmarais, “Officer Ralph Sirois is proud to wear the uniform and his job performance shows it.”
August 2008 This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Michael McHale, who is currently assigned to the Second Division. Officer McHale was nominated for this honor by Lieutenant Dennis Flynn, who described the recent assistance provided by Officer McHale following the serious motor vehicle accident involving two Lynn Police cruisers. Lieutenant Flynn reported that on July 12, 2008, Officer McHale was on his way to work when he heard a radio transmission from Officer John McKenna, stating that he was in foot pursuit of an armed suspect in the area of Verona Street. Officer McHale, along with other officers, responded to that location to assist in the search for the suspect. After clearing that scene and continuing to work, Officer McHale heard another radio transmission reporting a serious motor vehicle accident with injuries involving two Lynn Police cruisers at the intersection of Chestnut Street and Western Avenue. Officer McHale, who is a paramedic, responded immediately to the scene of the accident. He assisted other paramedics and Fire Department personnel in the treatment and extrication of Officer Gregory Leblanc. According to several officers at the scene, “Officer McHale demonstrated the highest level of professionalism in providing assistance to emergency personnel in the treatment of the injured officer.” As stated by Lieutenant Flynn, “Officer McHale is very deserving of being selected as “Officer of the Month”, not only for this incident, but also for several other occasions in which his experience and training as a paramedic has proven to be very valuable to the Department and to the City of Lynn.”
July 2008 This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Officer Edward Pettipas, who is currently assigned to the Second Division. Officer Pettipas was nominated for this honor by Lieutenant David Brown, who described two recent incidents in which multiple suspects were taken into custody as a result of the efforts of officers of the Second Division, including Officer Pettipas. On June 26, 2008, Officers Pettipas and Harkness were dispatched to the area of Lawrence Road on a report of individuals breaking into cars. The officers subsequently observed a vehicle pull out of Fays Avenue, which they followed onto Victory Road. The occupants fled the vehicle, and after a foot chase, Officer Pettipas was able to take a 16-year-old male party into custody. Following an interview with this juvenile by Officer Pettipas, two other individuals were also arrested for receiving stolen property and related charges; and $3,875 in cash, GPS devices, and other stolen items were recovered. On July 2, 2008, Officers Beaver and Harkness responded to the 7-Eleven in Wyoma Square on a report of a robbery. The clerk stated that he was robbed by two females, one of which was armed with a hypodermic needle. A short time later, Officer Pettipas located a suspect on Richardson Road. A MSP K-9 Unit was called to the scene and led officers to a residence on Richardson Road. During the investigation, Officer Pettipas applied for and was granted a search warrant; and three individuals were taken into custody, including two for their involvement in the earlier robbery. Lieutenant Brown stated that the arrests from these incidents were the result of the great teamwork by all of the officers involved, and in particular, were due to the solid contributions by Officer Pettipas. From the period of July 15 – August 14, 2008, Officer Pettipas has been given the exclusive use (24/7) of a designated parking space, which is located right next to the spaces currently reserved for our Captains.
June 2008 This month’s LPD “Officer of the Month” is Detective Paul Holey, who is currently assigned to the Special Investigations Unit. Detective Holey was nominated for this honor by Lieutenant Dennis Flynn, who stated that “Detective Holey has demonstrated his dedication to duty and his service to the community throughout his career at the Lynn Police Department.” He then described the recent incident which took place on the morning of May 27, 2008, at approximately 0210 hours. Detective Holey, who was on patrol in the area of Commercial Street and Alley Street, was confronted by an individual armed with a knife. Detective Holey made several attempts to convince the individual to drop the weapon; however, the male party lunged at Detective Holey, forcing him to discharge his duty weapon in order to defend himself. Lieutenant Flynn further stated that “this is only one example of Detective Holey’s professionalism and dedication to duty. He is certainly a credit to the Lynn Police Department and to the citizens of Lynn.”
May 2008 I am very pleased to announce that our selection for the first “Officer of the Month” is Officer Robert Ferrari, who currently serves as our School Security Officer. Officer Ferrari was nominated for this honor by Captain Leonard Desmarais, who stated that “Officer Ferrari’s many months of preparation work while working cooperatively with the School Department played a large part in the coordinated, professional response to the shots fired incident outside of Lynn Classical on May 9th. Captain Desmarais further noted that route officers and sector sergeants were more familiar with the schools procedures due to Officer Ferrari’s ensuring they were always present at their respective school’s lockdown drills.
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