It was the first class to complete training at the new facility at Springfield Technical Community College.
SPRINGFIELD - Officer Brendan Boyle of the Holyoke Police Department said becoming a police officer is something he knew he wanted to do from a young age after watching his father succeed in the field.
“I have looked up to him my entire life,” Boyle said Wednesday. “I always knew his fellow police officers, and they were great people.”
On Wednesday, Boyle was part of the 45th Massachusetts Municipal Police Officers Class to graduate at the Police Training Academy at Springfield Technical Community College - the first since the new building opened half-way through the program.
Boyle’s badge was pinned to his uniform by his father, detective Kevin Boyle, of the Holyoke Police Department.
“I had mixed emotions,” said the senior Boyle of pinning his son. “No father wants to see his son put himself in harm’s way, but I am very proud. He is a fine young man, and he’s going to be a great police officer.”
The senior Boyle has been with the Holyoke Police Department for 38 years and wears badge No. 1 denoting that he has served the longest.
Boyle said that having his father pin him was a lifelong dream. “He has been working for 38 years, so its nice to have that generational gap to see him actually up there pinning me.”
The graduating class endured a grueling 21-week training program in which they learned everything there is to know about working as a police officer, according to Academy Director John M. Claffey.
“In addition to the physical training, there is academic training, criminal law, criminal procedure training,” he said. “They also do firearms training and emergency vehicle training, CPR, first responder - a lot of practical training.”
Of the 39 recruits that showed up to begin the program on March 15, 31 made it through the program to graduate.
“It wasn’t easy,” said Chief Robert Frydryk of the Palmer Police Department, addressing the graduates. “It wasn’t meant to be.”
”They’re a great bunch of guys and girls,” said Boyle of his fellow graduates. “It was a tough 21 weeks but we made it through it. Without any of those guys we wouldn’t be here today.”
Capt. Ronald Campurciani, of the West Springfield Police Department, commended the officers for their unwavering dedication to the program and reassured them that they would never be alone in the field. “Something symbolic has happened today,” he said. “The merging of the old and the new. Wherever you go, you will not be alone, because you are police officers. We are part of the biggest family on the planet.”
According to Claffey, almost all of the graduates have jobs, and the few that don’t should be working in the field by the end of the month.
Of the 31 graduates, 20 of the new officers will be serving in the Pioneer Valley, including Bernardston, Springfield, Holyoke, Petersham, Brimfield, Westfield, Longmeadow, Gill, Whately and Belchertown.
Other area graduates include Jason R. Bassett, of Bernardston, Daniel M. Billingsley, of Springfield, Richard D. Cooley Jr., of Petersham, Samuel Delvalle, of Holyoke, Nicholas J. Demetrion, of Brimfield, Michael J. Garcia, of Westfield, David R.G. Irwin, of Longmeadow, Michael T. Kane, of Westfield, Paul J. Marguet, of Gill.
Also, Angel L. Marrero, of Springfield, Richard A. Mazza, of Westfield, Michael T. McNally, of Longmeadow, Stephen J. Norton, of Holyoke, Scott C. Phelon, of Westfield, Daniel F. Ryan, of Whately, Sean F. Smith, of Longmeadow, Jacob W. Strange, of Belchertown, Ryan D. Tabb, of Holyoke, and Jameson R. Williams, of Springfield.
Editor’s note: Staff writer Margaret Boyle is no relation to Brendan or Kevin Boyle.