The Abington Police Department has made a number of personnel changes in recent weeks, including welcoming four new officers.
Robert Gervasi, Ryan Francis, Sean Flannery, and Andrew Rezendes each graduated from the Northern Essex Community College police academy in October after six months of training.
Police Chief David Del Papa introduced the new officers to the Board of Selectmen at its Nov. 30 meeting. The officers are currently paired up with veteran officers for their field training and will start solo patrols in mid-January.
Gervasi is a 2017 graduate of Archbishop Williams High School, attended Massasoit Community College in 2019, and was a full-time student at Westfield State College when he was hired.
Francis is a 2012 graduate of South Shore Vocational Technical High School and received a degree in Management Information Systems from UMass Dartmouth in 2017. He previously worked as a corrections officer for the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department.
Flannery is a 2004 North Quincy High School graduate. He previously worked as an EMT for Fallon Ambulance and a control representative for SS&C Technologies before he was hired.
Rezendes graduated from Portsmouth High School in Rhode Island in 2008 and holds a degree in criminal justice from Curry College. He worked as a police officer for Massachusetts Bay Community College from 2014-2015 and then at Bunker Hill Community College.
All four officers currently live in Abington.
The new hires bring the number of Abington patrol officers to 17, or four short of having a full roster. The department had experienced significant turnover in previous years, leaving them shorthanded.
Three new recruits are currently in the police academy.
In other department news;
Sgt. Shawn McCollum retired last week after 34 years. McCollum started in 1988 as a permanent intermittent officer, was hired full-time in 1995, and promoted to sergeant in 2004. According to the department, McCollum served during his career as a motorcycle officer, accident reconstructionist, academy instructor, property and evidence supervisor, and accreditation manager.
Lt. Kevin Sullivan, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, was promoted to Deputy Chief. Sullivan joined the department in 1995, was promoted to sergeant in 2008, and lieutenant in 2014.
Off. Christopher Sanderson, a six-year department veteran, has been promoted to sergeant.
Current Abington Police roster:
Chief
David Del Papa
Deputy Chief
Kevin Sullivan
Sergeants
Stephen Marquardt
Kevin Cutter
Aanton Lynch
Brian Feely
Christopher Sanderson
Officers
Justin Simmons
John Sayers
Ryan Gillan
Justin Canada
James White
Carlos Garza
Nicholas Sullivan
Hency Calice
Joshua Heal
Vanessa Miranda
Michael Walsh
Raymond Emery
Gladys Morgan
Ryan Doherty
Ryan Francis
Robert Gervasi Jr.
Andrew Rezendes
Sean Flannery
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