By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Photo/courtesy Shrewsbury Senior Center
Shrewsbury – On Feb. 22 the Shrewsbury Police Department welcomed three new patrol officers when Town Clerk Sandra Wright swore-in Officers Christopher Vieira, Jeffrey Svendsen, and Trevor Andrews at the Shrewsbury Senior Center.
In deference to COVID-19 restrictions the ceremony was small and it was the last swearing in that Wright presided over because she is set to retire at the end of the month.
The new officers graduated from the Boylston Police Academy’s Mass. Criminal Justice Training Council in Boylston on Feb. 19. The program entails 22 weeks of training.
“They will be assigned to three veteran officers and will be in our field training program that is approximately four months,” remarked Police Chief Kevin Anderson.
According to a press release from the department, the new officers spent six months at the Police Academy which has a rigorous curriculum. Some of the main subjects covered include a wide range of applicable law classes, patrol procedures, firearms training, first aid/CPR training, report writing, emergency vehicle operations training, hate crime investigation, domestic violence investigation, as well as many classes directed toward community interactions such as communication skills, response to mental illness calls, implicit bias training and problem-solving exercises.
“While the Police Academy provides the officers with excellent foundational principles and training, the new Officers will continue their training for the next several months here in Shrewsbury,” the release continued. “The new officers will ride with veteran training Officers and gain valuable experience prior to being on patrol by themselves. It is our goal to provide quality service to our community and our officers are dedicated to a proactive, problem-solving approach.”
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