Haverhill Honors Fallen Police Officers During Solemn Ceremony

Members of the Haverhill Police Honor Guard were, from left to right, Patrolman Timothy Menzie, Detective Sean Scharneck, Lt. Joseph Ingham, Patrolman David MacKinnon and Detective William O’Connell. (WHAV News photograph.)

(Additional photograph below.)

Haverhill this week honored former police officers and officers who have fallen in the line of duty during a ceremony at the police department’s memorial organized by the Haverhill Police Relief Association.

Speakers included Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett and Haverhill Police Chief Robert P. Pistone, who described what could be the “day in the life” of an officer.

“A police officer may issue a traffic citation to a good citizen, deliver a death message to parents of a child, testify in court, listen to a citizen complain that his stolen property has not been recovered, get into a life or death struggle—all in a single shift,” he said.

Pistone said more than 120 police officers nationwide fell in the line of duty last year, and according to the website Officer Down Memorial Page, almost 60 officers have fallen in the line of duty this year.

Northern Essex Community College President Lane A. Glenn offered his thanks, noting the college school is host to the Municipal Police Training Academy.

“For the last seven years, we’ve had the great privilege of graduating nearly 1,000 officers who are now serving in more than 80 departments across the Commonwealth. And, once or twice a year, I have the opportunity to speak to the graduating classes. And, when I do, I thank them for being present on our campus, for demonstrating to our students and to the community that visits our campus the professionalism, the determination, the hard work that goes into becoming a police officer for municipalities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and I thank them for the life of service that they are entering into,” he said.

The observance closed with the playing of “Taps” by Haverhill Police Sgt. Kevin Lynch.

Presiding over the flag retirement ceremony were School Resource Officer Nicole Donnelly and Sgt. Michael Shinners. (WHAV News photograph.)

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