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Fall River swears in 13 new police officers at government center ceremony
Summary
Mayor Paul Coogan, city leaders and department commanders administered oaths Friday at the Fall River Government Center as 13 recruits were sworn into the Fall River Police Department; leaders emphasized service, community partnership and mentorship for early-career officers.
Lieutenant Joseph Galveo, the Fall River Police Department hiring coordinator, opened a swearing-in ceremony Friday at the Fall River Government Center and introduced the class of new officers, who were administered the oath of office by Mayor Paul Coogan.
"Welcome to the city of Fall River. May you serve honorably, protect with courage, and lead with integrity," Galveo said as he welcomed recruits and thanked families and city officials for attending.
The ceremony included an invocation by Father Rob Nemkovich of Blessed Trinity Parish, brief biographical introductions for each recruit and remarks from department leaders. Mayor Coogan told the graduates, "This is a very special day in the city of Fall River," and invited them to raise their right hands to repeat the oath swearing allegiance to the United States and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Deputy Chief James T. Hoare urged the new officers to learn from seasoned colleagues and framed the cohort as an opportunity for institutional renewal. Hoare said the current hiring cycle "puts us over a 100 police officers on our job that have less than 2 years experience," underscoring the department's near-term reliance on early-career officers.
Chief Kelly Fortunato framed the department as a community institution, saying, "We are the community, and the community is the police," and urged the recruits to carry forward a legacy of trust and integrity.
Lieutenant Galveo introduced each officer before they signed the department's oath book and took their places: Daniel Reese Junior, Julian Brunn, Elias Mavridis, Theresa Varela, Yorgen De Castro, Officer Tacastro, Cynthia Moreno, Kyle Vasconcelos, Michael Raimondo, Ryan Charette, Matthew Pelletier, Brian Dos Santos and Christian Ortiz. Biographical notes offered at the ceremony listed hometowns, education and prior experience for each recruit.
The ceremony concluded with congratulations from department leaders and an invitation to families and guests to remain for the remainder of the day. There were no votes or formal policy decisions at the event; the primary outcome was the administration of the oath and the formal acceptance of office by the new officers.
