BURLINGTON — Chief Michael Kent announces five longtime members of the Burlington Police Department will retire next month.
Dispatcher Gail Fay, Officer Spiros Tsingo, Officer William Soda, Detective Thomas Fournier and Sgt. Bernard Schipelliti will all be retiring in January.
“All together, these five have over 150 years of combined experience,” Chief Kent said. “The impact they have made on the community will not soon be forgotten. We wish them all the best, and hope they have happy and healthy retirements.”
Dispatcher Gail Fay
Dispatcher Fay will officially retire on Jan. 1, 2021 after just over three decades with the department. She joined the Burlington Police Department as a traffic supervisor in October 1989, became a dispatcher in January 1996 and later a special police officer in April 1997.
“Dispatcher Fay has done an exceptional job over the years, many times handling very difficult calls always in a calm, cool manner,” Chief Kent said.
Officer Spiros Tsingos
Officers Tsingos will retire on Jan. 2, 2021 after three and a half decades with the Burlington Police Department. He joined the department as a patrolman in November 1985. As the senior patrolman of the department, he carries badge #1.
“Officer Tsingos has been a mainstay on the dayshift for many years,” Chief Kent said. “His positive attitude resonates through the entire shift. Patrol is the backbone of any police department and Officer Tsingos typifies that.”
Officer William Soda
Officer Soda will retire on Jan. 11, 2021 after 28 years of service. He joined the Burlington Police Department as a reserve officer in June 1992 and was appointed a patrolman in 2003. He has also served as the Information Technology Director since 2011 and served in the United States Marine Corps from 1983-88.
“Officer Soda first served his country then his community,” Chief Kent said. “The department’s IT is on the cutting edge due to Officer Soda’s dedication. He is always available when an issue arises and has strived to make the department more efficient through technology advances.”
Detective Thomas Fournier
Detective Fournier will retire on Jan. 7, 2021 after 32 years with the Burlington Police Department. He joined as a reserve officer in September 1988 and became a patrolman a year later. He also served as the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Officer for the department from 1997 to 2002. He became the Youth Services Detective in 2002.
“Over the years Detective Fournier has been a true asset to youth and families in Burlington,” Chief Kent said. “A calming presence at any emergency situation, Detective Fournier’s knowledge on school safety won’t be easy to replace.”
Sgt. Bernard Schipelliti
Sgt. Schipelliti will retire on Jan. 31, 2021 after 32 years with the Burlington Police Department. He joined the department as a reserve officer in 1988 and became a patrolman in 1989. He was promoted to his current rank in 2018 and prior to that, served as the Safety Officer since 1998.
“Sgt. Schipelliti served as the department’s Safety Officer for many years,” Chief Kent said. “In that position he educated several generations of children on a number of safety related issues. Over the last several years, Sgt. Schipelliti has been able to share his wealth of knowledge with the evening shift where he served as a supervisor.”
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