The Haverhill Police Department swore in eight new officers on Friday morning, in one of the city’s largest ever swearing-in ceremonies. A ninth new officer will be sworn in separately.
The department has increased the number of budgeted officers to 105 this year, which is six more than last year and 21 more than were on the force in 2010.
Police say crime is dropping in the city. Homicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson collectively dropped 11.1 percent from 2015 to 2016 and 9.1 percent from 2016 to 2017. The first few months of 2018 show this trend continuing.
The new officers were congratulated by Mayor James Fiorentini in a Facebook post. He said it was a “pleasure and an honor to swear-in” Connor Rogier, Ryan Barbera, Mathew Marshall, Keith Crowley, John Orsillo, Richard St. Louis, Jordan Bergevine, Laura Britton.