Michael R. Kent
Chief of Police
45 Center Street
Burlington, MA 01803
www.bpd.org
For Immediate Release
Monday, Nov. 26 2018
Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Burlington Police Department Adds New Full-Time Officer
BURLINGTON — Chief Michael Kent is pleased to announce the hiring of a new full-time police officer.
Officer Amanda Santos was sworn in at this evening’s Burlington Board of Selectmen meeting.
Officer Santos is a Watertown resident. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2017 with a double major in sociology and legal studies. She previously served as a probation officer intern with Eastern Hampshire District Court and as an intern with the Watertown Police Department while in college.
She joined the UMass Amherst Police Department as a student cadet in 2016 and became a full-time police officer for UMass in February after graduating from the fifth session of the Northern Essex Community College/Methuen Police Academy. She was part of a 56-person academy class drawing from police departments around the state.
While at the academy, Officer Santos completed an intensive 24-week program that covered constitutional law, prevention and intervention, community policing, domestic violence, elder abuse, victims’ rights, and other topics. The class also raised and donated $1,000 to the Massachusetts Special Olympics as part of a service program.
Officer Santos, who also speaks four languages, has shown tireless dedication to law enforcement and joins a growing Burlington Police Department after a very competitive hiring process.
“Modern policing is a professional endeavor, drawing from an educated and competitive talent pool,” Chief Kent said. “Our community rightfully expects a lot from our police officers, and I have extremely high hopes for Officer Santos as she begins her municipal career in Burlington.”
Officer Santos will now undergo 10 weeks of field training to more fully integrate her into the department.
###