BURLINGTON – Chief Thomas P. Browne is pleased to report that five sworn members of the Burlington Police Department were promoted by the Select Board on Tuesday evening.
Capt. Kevin Cooney, Lt. Gerard McDonough, Lt. Thomas Carlson, Sgt. Joseph Papsedero, and Sgt. James Hanafin were all promoted to their new ranks as a result of the recent retirements of Capt. Greg Skehan and Lt. Tim McDonough.
Capt. Kevin Cooney
Hired in 1993, Capt. Cooney worked as a patrolman until 2013 when he was promoted to sergeant. Capt. Cooney, since the time he was a patrolman, helped Burlington Police obtain grants for traffic patrols, took part in Safety Town each year, and worked as a certified car seat technician and federal motor carrier inspector. He also worked to ensure all taxis and ice cream trucks were registered with the town. Capt. Cooney is also an active participant in the department’s Honor Guard. As a sergeant, Cooney oversaw the department’s communications systems, fleet and Honor Guard. Capt. Cooney has experience working all three of the department’s shifts, and has a Bachelor’s degree from Hesser College. He is also a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police.
Lt. Gerard McDonough
Hired in 2005, Lt. McDonough has served as a patrol officer, drug officer, and line supervisor, working across all three shifts to supervise patrolmen. In 2013, McDonough became the department’s first full-time Traffic Sergeant, overseeing the traffic division and its work to increase public safety through both enforcement and education. He also obtained numerous grants to aid the work of the Traffic Unit. More recently, Lt. McDonough led an initiative to add a motorcycle unit to the department, and currently serves as a team leader for the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council’s K-9 Unit. He has a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from UMass Lowell.
Lt. Thomas Carlson
Hired in 2004, Lt. Carlson worked as a field training officer during his time as a patrolman, and also served on the Mountain Bike Unit and Honor Guard. In 2012, he became the department’s Court Liaison, representing the department in court and helping to coordinate evidence handling and the schedules of officers who needed to testify in court. In 2014, he became a detective, an assignment he continued until his promotion to sergeant in 2018. As a sergeant, he supervised the evening shift and also handled communications systems management, fleet management, and supervising field training officers. He recently served as Accreditation Manager as well. Lt. Carlson has a master’s degree in justice studies from Southern New Hampshire University.
Sgt. Joseph Papsedero
Hired in 1999 after he worked four years at the Hampton, N.H. Police Department, Sgt. Papsedero has served since 2005 as the department’s K-9 Officer. Since 2008, he has served on the NEMLEC Regional Response Team and has responded to hundreds of callouts across the region. Sgt. Papsedero is the department’s primary use of force and firearms instructor, a field training officer, and a certified Tactical Medical Instructor. He is part of the Honor Guard, Mountain Bike Unit, and Motorcycle Unit. Sgt. Papsedero’s K-9 Partner Remi will remain by his side following his promotion. Sgt. Papsedero has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and is also a certified EMT.
Sgt. James Hanafin
Hired in 2011, Sgt. Hanafin began his career working primarily on the evening shift, and served as a field training officer before his skills led him to earn an assignment in the detective bureau, where he has been a “go-to” investigator since 2018. Sgt. Hanafin was known for being a team player who would eagerly assist with any investigation. He is working his way toward a master’s degree in criminal justice, and is expected to complete his studies next month.
“We are lucky to have a large number of extremely professional and qualified officers who are able to fill important vacancies and move our department forward,” said Chief Browne. “I would like to congratulate these five individuals on their well-earned promotions, and I wish them luck in their future assignments.”