BURLINGTON — Chief Michael Kent is pleased to announce the Burlington Police Department added four highly-educated and experienced new members Monday, and that they will report for academy training later this month.
Officers Darryl Calicchio, Eric Jaeschke, Thomas Lyons and Nicholas Scola were appointed on Monday, Nov, 2 in a virtual ceremony conducted remotely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The four will start the Lowell Police Academy on Monday, Nov. 16. The police academy is 24 weeks long and consists of more than 900 hours of a combination of practical and classroom training, certifications and service to the community. Some of the classes include first aid, law, applied patrol procedures, firearms, report writing, active shooter training, specialized driving and self defense. All in-person trainings are done in compliance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“Congratulations to the newest members of the department who begin their rigorous training in the coming weeks,” Chief Kent said. “All of us at the Burlington Police Department are excited to have Officers Calicchio, Jaeschke, Lyons and Scola begin this next step in their careers with us, and wish them the best of luck when they head to the police academy in the coming weeks.”
Officer Calicchio, of Burlington, worked as a Behavior Detection Supervisor, Suspicious Indicators Recognition/Awareness (SIRA) Program Manager/Field Training Officer, Security Operations Manager and Executive Protection Specialist at State Street Financial Center. He is an active member of the United States Army Reserve. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Bridgewater State University and is currently working towards a master’s degree in business administration with a focus on accounting from Southern New Hampshire University. He is also a certified trainer in SIRA, and has taken part in several related trainings, such as an active threat control workshop with the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association and a management of aggressive behaviors course. He is certified in CPR and first aid.
Officer Jaeschke, of Wilmington, worked as Lumber Yard Foreman at Reading Lumber, supervising a crew of six to eight people, and managing inventory, deliveries and equipment. He has earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Amherst and attended Thomas College as a criminal justice major.
Officer Lyons, who was born and raised in Burlington, started his law enforcement career as a patrol officer for the Derry Police Department in Derry, N.H. in 2019. Prior to that, he interned with the Burlington Police Department in the summer of 2018, assisting with various projects including collecting emergency contact information from businesses and restaurants within the town. He has earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Johnson & Wales University. He is certified in CPR and first aid, and completed trainings on incident command systems and responses.
Officer Scola, of Billerica, most recently worked as a corrections officer for the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office. Prior to that, he worked with the Burlington Police Department as a criminal justice intern in the summer of 2019; an on-call firefighter and EMT for the Plymouth Fire Department in Plymouth, N.H. from 2017-2019; a member of the Wilderness Search and Rescue Team for Pemigewasset-Valley Search and Rescue in Lincoln, N.H. in 2017; and a counselor for Middlesex Sheriff’s Office in 2017, where he worked with children ages nine to 12. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and earned a Firefighter I certification from the New Hampshire Fire Academy. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Plymouth State University in Plymouth, N.H. He is certified in Basic Life Support from the American Heart Association, hazmat operations, wilderness first response and open water diving, and has completed training on incident command and national incident management systems.
The appointees will also partake in a 10-week field training program after completing the Lowell Police Academy.
With all four new members holding bachelor’s degrees and one currently pursuing a master’s degree, the new appointments increase the percentage of Burlington Police officers holding a college degree. They are a reflection of the ongoing efforts nationally and here in Burlington to recruit an educated, highly-specialized, well-trained workforce to deliver the highest standards of public safety and emergency services to the citizens of Burlington.
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