An appreciation of our men and women in blue
Amid all the progressive calls for reform and defunding in the aftermath of some shocking deaths of minorities at the hands of police in other parts of the country, we’re fortunate to enjoy the caliber of municipal law enforcement that’s the norm in this state.
Two recent events provide snapshots of the type of men and women who’ve taken an oath to serve and protect the residents of their respective communities.
On Friday, in a packed Weston Auditorium filled with family and friends, 15 police recruits graduated from Fitchburg State University’s fourth Recruit Officer Course with an undergraduate degree in criminal justice.
A day earlier, several Lowell Police officers and a city dispatcher were honored for their acts of bravery, heroism and saving lives of people in need during a ceremony at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium.
In Fitchburg, FSU Police Program Academy Director Lisa Lane McCarty said the graduates “have essentially been police recruits” during their four undergraduate years, following all the academic, conduct and uniform requirements that traditional recruits follow for a much shorter time period.
“They followed all of the rules that a traditional recruit only has to follow for 20 to 22 weeks for four years,” McCarty said.
“They are held to higher academic, conduct and appearance standards than other students on campus,” McCarty said. “This is all to prepare them to become future police officers who are educated, professional, well trained, and conduct themselves with honesty, integrity and discipline.”
Many of the graduates have already been hired by police departments across the state.
Harwich native Evangeline Cakounes, who was able to begin the master’s program at FSU a semester early since she graduated in December, will start her new job as a police officer in Orange within the next two weeks.
The Lowell event was highlighted by remarkable stories detailed by Deputy Police Superintendent Barry Golner, including the lifesaving actions of Officers Leang Chhor, Joshua DeLisle, Warren Greenhalgh and Walter Varey during a house fire in February.
According to Golner, Varey was the first officer to arrive on scene. He entered the smoke-filled building to search for trapped residents, and rushed to the screams he heard coming from the second floor.
“Forced to crawl because of the suffocating smoke and intense heat, Officer Varey called out and located two adults and their child,” Golner said. “He first carried the child downstairs to safety, then returned to the second floor to assist both adults out of the building despite the poor visibility conditions.”
Outside the burning building, Chhor and DeLisle spotted a woman holding a baby out a smoke-filled second floor. The two officers hurried to the woman’s aid, instructing her to toss the baby to them. Chhor and DeLisle caught the child, who DeLisle rushed to safety. Greenhalgh and Chhor then caught the mother who also jumped safely into their arms.
Several other members of the Lowell Police Department received recognition on Thursday, not for arrests or other duties associated with a police officer, but for similar humanitarian acts that detractors of law enforcement don’t seem to appreciate.
Yes, police are human and do make mistakes. However, we believe these FSU police grads and exceptional Lowell Police officers are the rule by which we should judge those who put their lives on the line daily.