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Whats New at The Coventry Police Department

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Feb 2008

Col. Ronald DaSilva announces the following promotions and assignments:

Promoted from Sergeant to Lieutenant:
            Michael K. Flanagan                  Mid-8 Shift Commander
            John S. MacDonald                  Day Shift Commander
            Stephen Michailides                 Evening Shift Commander

Promoted from Officer to Sergeant:
            John A. Shields                       Legal Division
            Kevin P. Nolan                         Mid-8 Shift Supervisor
            Dennis P. Skorski                    Evening Shift Supervisor
            Gary G. Miller                           Evening Shift Supervisor

The following officer were reassigned:
            Lt. Robin Winslow                               Administration
                                                                       Officer of planning & Career Development
            Lt. David Tomasso                               Detective Division
            Sgt. Peter Zalabowski                          Detective Division

We would like to extend Best Wishes to Chief Brian O’Rourke, Lt. Thomas Beaulieu, Sgt. Charles Bourret and Detective Leo Fox on their retirement from the Coventry Police Dept.

01:00 AM EST on Thursday, January 31, 2008

By Lisa Vernon-Sparks

Journal Staff Writer

COVENTRY — When he leaves his office today, Police Chief Brian O’Rourke will be doing so as a civilian. After 25 years on the force, the last 6½ as chief, O’Rourke, 53, is retiring. Succeeding him in the top post will be Lt. Ronald DaSilva, 40, who joined the department 19 years ago.

“It’s been a great time,” said O’Rourke, who lives in Warwick. “We’ve seen dramatic growth.”

As chief, he saw the uniformed complement increase from 52 officers to 60, spent about $100,000 on technological upgrades and shepherded the formation of a joint SWAT team with the West Warwick Police Department.In retirement, he said, he might be interested in teaching criminal justice at the college level. DaSilva, the department’s senior lieutenant, was recommended for the top post by acting Town Manager Paul K. Sprague, who with the help of Scituate Police Chief William Mack interviewed the 26 candidates — including chiefs of other Rhode Island departments and members of the Rhode Island State Police — who responded to advertisements for applicants. The Town Council accepted Sprague’s recommendation and yesterday DaSilva, one of four Coventry officers who applied, accepted a three-year contract with a starting salary of $80,000 a year. He will receive 2.25 percent raises on July 1 and next Jan. 1 — the same increases provided in the police union contract — and 3 percent raises in each of the ensuing two years, according to Sprague.

A detective for eight years, DaSilva also served as the department’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations officer for nine years. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from Salve Regina University, and he is an adjunct professor in criminal justice at Roger Williams University. “It should be a goal of every police officer to be top cop,” said DaSilva, an East Providence native whose brother Kenneth, a former Coventry Town Council member, is a retired Bristol police officer. “I got my start as a police cadet in East Providence when I was 13.” By the time he was 18, Ronald DaSilva was working as a special reserve officer in East Providence. He headed to Coventry after graduating from college, choosing that department because it was “progressive” police force in a growing community, he said. “It was doing things,” he recalled. “It was bringing in the new age in law enforcement. Coventry was one of the first departments to use computers.”

Sprague said all four Coventry candidates were “excellent.” DaSilva, he said, stood out because of his varied experience and training. The officer has assisted Sprague in the acting manager’s role as emergency management director and has helped secure Homeland Security funds for equipment and training. “He is extremely intelligent … he is very innovative, he has a lot of good ideas to bring to the table and he is a hard worker … and he is well respected by the personnel in the Police Department,” Sprague said. The roster of the department, at 1025 Main St. includes 20 civilian workers. The uniformed personnel include three women, all in the patrol section; a female recruit is attending the Municipal Police Training Academy, DaSilva said. Interviewed yesterday in the department’s tiny roll-call room, DaSilva said his goals include a more open relationship with the news media and expanded community involvement. “Help us by telling us what you want us to do,” he said of townspeople. He hopes the community of 35,000 becomes more the eyes and ears for the police.

Knowing tight finances preclude adding more uniformed personnel, DaSilva said he hopes to bring in more clerical staff to free officers for street duty including traffic safety — a big issue — and investigations of vandalism, larceny and fraud. “We’re a bedroom community. Everyone comes to live here. The town has seen everything [of a criminal nature] that everyone else does, just in different proportions,” he said. “We are 64 square miles. It’s a lot of town to cover.”

lsparks@projo.com

Coventry fraud investigator gets national recognition

01:00 AM EDT on Friday, October 19, 2007

By Lisa Vernon-Sparks

Journal Staff Writer
Marcos
Coventry Detective Marcos Saenko received an honorable mention for 2007 Police Officer of the Year during the annual meeting of the International Association of Chiefs of Police this month. Below is some of the counterfeit currency that is part of his fraud collection.
The Providence Journal / Kris Craig
COVENTRY — Checking the Internet, Detective Marcos Saenko scrolled through a list of police officers who received the International Association of Chiefs of Police service award, given annually to a distinguished group, of which Saenko now belongs.
He read about officers honored for thwarting an armed robbery while being shot at, saving a drowning person, uncovering a drug trafficking ring and acting as a human shield to protect fellow officers. “I felt like I didn’t belong there. I felt they did greater things,” he said. “It’s a very strange feeling [to be honored].” But the 20-year Coventry police officer deserves the recognition.
Saenko, 54, a West Warwick resident and detective specializing in financial crimes, this week received the service award for his work with the Secret Service on a large-scale investigation that resulted in the arrest of four men involved in an identify-theft crime ring at supermarkets in several states. He also uncovered a Nigerian letter-type scam involving fake credit-card gift checks.
For these and the hundreds of cases he’s solved and also, his work to alert the public of fraud schemes, Saenko received an honorable mention for the 2007 Police Officer of the Year during the IACP’s annual conference held in New Orleans. He joins 10 officers nationwide also recognized for their work. Saenko went to New Orleans with his wife, Elaine, and colleague Capt. Bryan Volpe, who submitted Saenko’s name to the law-enforcement association in April. Volpe said the detective has an impressive body of work since joining the force.“It’s a great honor,” Volpe said. “His body of work has been exceptional — the great outcome with our Stop & Shop [bust], with the community and all the fraud and certain types of scams,” Volpe said. “He’s done a lot.” There is much to uncover, because identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country.“Law enforcement is looking at it very seriously,” Volpe said, adding that there are so many scams through the Internet and mailings, credit-card fraud, that it’s hard to give statistics.
In Coventry, fraudulent schemes and other financial crimes amount to more than 50 percent of all crimes there, more than even sexual assault, homicides or narcotics, Saenko said. As he flips through a 6-inch-thick binder filled with evidence from past cases — fake photo IDs, Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, phony checks and copies of counterfeit currency — Saenko remembers that when he began, fraud crimes weren’t as pervasive.
“Financial crimes weren’t like [they are] today. Once in a while you’d get a bad check or a stolen credit card. Back then it was like ‘wow,’ ” Saenko said of the types of cases he worked in the past. “[Now] there have been 300 cases of identity theft in the last five or six years — the biggest was the Stop and Shop thing.” In that case, four California men were arrested and charged in February this year with stealing debit card and credit information at a Stop & Shop supermarket on Tiogue Avenue. Saenko was the lead detective on that case and worked with the Secret Service. The investigation linked the arrested men to incidents at Stop & Shop supermarkets in other Rhode Island communities and had connected them with similar crimes in five major American cities. In addition to uncovering fraud cases, Saenko writes a newsletter alerting residents about fraudulent schemes and regularly holds informational sessions around the state, particular for the elderly, on the various schemes and how everyone can avoid them.
“He is a great resource. A lot of agencies come for help, the local police departments, the banking community,” Volpe said. “He is a leader. They have certain issues and if it’s something we can investigate, we will.” Investigating financial crimes hasn’t always been Saenko’s bailiwick, but serving the public has always been.

Born in Venezuela, Saenko is a former lieutenant and pilot with the Venezuelan Air Force. He also flew with the U.S. Air Force as a foreign officer in an exchange program. Saenko has taught piloting and was a member of an acrobatic flying team in Venezuela.
He met his wife while on tour in the U.S. Air Force, eventually got married and moved stateside. He became a Coventry Police officer in 1988. After graduating from the academy, he worked as a D.A.R.E. officer in Coventry for about seven years before becoming a detective. The couple live in West Warwick and have two grown children. In his office are some pictures of his days as a pilot. He says there are a lot of lessons he learned as a pilot that he uses everyday as a detective.

“When you are a pilot you have to be observant…your life depends on it. I think you apply those things as a patrolman. When you get your wings, it always stays with you,” Saenko said.

September 22, 2007

Members of the Coventry Police and Fire Department held a safety event at The Family Fitness Zone. The Police and Fire Department along with Frank Cotter from Ident-A-Kid and Donna Averil from Met-Life Insurance assisted with the sucess of the event.

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August 2007

Detective Marcos Saenko meets with President George Bush at the Newport Naval College.

July 12, 2007

The Coventry Police Department is still taking application for the upcoming Citizens Police Academy. This is an opportunity for anyone who has a vested interest in the town of Coventry to learn about the police department. Click the following link for additional information and to download an application.

July 11, 2007

Amanda K. Lowe
Daily Times

COVENTRY — Three new faces will be seen patrolling the streets of Coventry.
The Coventry Police Department has sworn in three new officers — Alexander DeMolles, Graham MacCoy, and Erica Novak.
According to Coventry Police Chief Brian O’Rourke, the appointments fill the vacancies created when officers retired.
All three new officers have just successfully completed 16 weeks at the municipal police academy and graduated from the academy on June 29, O’Rourke said.
DeMolles, MacCoy, and Novak were sworn into the Coventry Police Department at the town council meeting on Monday evening.
All three officers raised their right hands as Town Manager Richard Kerbel asked “Do you solemnly swear that you will be true and faithful to this state and support the law and constitution thereof, and the constitution of the United States of America and that you will well and truly execute the office of the control unit for the Coventry Police Department to which you have been appointed, so help you God?”
After each of the new officers replied “I do,” their fathers — Alexander DeMolles, John MacCoy, and Michael Novak — pinned Coventry Police Department badges onto the new police officers’ uniforms.
DeMolles, 23, was the valedictorian of his class at the Rhode Island Municipal Police Academy. He has an associate’s degree in law enforcement from the Community College of Rhode Island and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Rhode Island, O’Rourke said.
Previously, DeMolles was an assistant harbormaster for the Town of South Kingston and an emergency medical technician and community service officer for the Town of Jamestown, according to O’Rourke.
MacCoy, 23, has an associate’s degree in criminal justice from the Community College of Rhode Island. He has previously worked as a police dispatcher, a traffic constable, and a lifeguard in the Town of Charlestown.
Novak, 25, has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Rhode Island. She previously worked as a caregiver in the healthcare field and as a waitress and a gym instructor.
“The three officers have begun a program which includes 12 weeks of riding around with other Coventry police officers before they get their own assignments,” O’Rourke said. “Then, most likely, they will have the pleasure of working the midnight to 8 a.m. shift.”

May 28, 2007

Heroes in Johnson's Pond rescue recognized ......... Amanda K. Lowe, Daily Times

COVENTRY - A single act of heroism has earned two members of the Coventry Police Department multiple honors.

"We are recognizing two police officers that did something that sounds to me like something out of a movie with Wesley Snipes and Bruce Willis," said Coventry Town Council President Justin Pomfret at last week's town council meeting. "Only it wasn't Bruce Willis and Wesley Snipes, it was two police officers right here in this wonderful community of Coventry."
On May 4, Capt. Walter Hennessy and Patrol Officer Domenic Guglielmo dove into Johnson Pond and pulled a woman out of her car after she drove into the water.
The police say the woman, a 20-year-old Coventry resident, lost control of the car while driving in the area of Isle of Capri and Hill Farm roads. Hennessy and Guglielmo were the first responders to the scene. They spotted the car almost fully submerged in about 10 feet of water near the shoreline of Johnson Pond.
The officers jumped into the water and swam to the car, which was filling with water. When they arrived at the car, they broke the back window with a rock and a flashlight, and pulled the driver to safety, according to police.
Town council members issued a proclamation last Monday night honoring the two officers.
"The professionalism and the courage in this rescue effort are in keeping with the highest traditions of law enforcement and the Coventry Police Department," the town council's proclamation states.
The proclamation was only the beginning of the honors bestowed on the two men last Monday night.
Coventry Police Chief Brian O'Rourke presented the two officers with one of the department's highest honors - the Medal of Valor.
"We are presenting these officers with this honor for their brave and heroic actions of diving into Johnson Pond and safely extricating the female out of the submerging vehicle," O'Rourke said. "Without question, their actions prevented a tragedy and they have the praise of the whole department."
The Central Coventry Fire District also presented Hennessy and Guglielmo with special honors.
"I have over 37 years of public safety experience and this was one of the most courageous acts I have had the opportunity to witness," Chief Brian Hoxsie said. "In my 37 years, we have a lot of what we call saves or what are considered to be saves. This is by far the most definite saved life I have ever witnessed."
On behalf of the Central Coventry Fire District, Hoxsie presented Hennessy and Guglielmo with a plaque honoring the men for saving a life.
"This is the first plaque of its type ever to be issued by our fire district and I am pretty sure by any fire district to any police officer in the Town of Coventry," Hoxsie said. "As a Coventry resident, I couldn't be prouder of the two of you."
Hoxsie added that between Hennessy and Guglielmo, there are 31 years of experience - with Hennessy holding 30 of those years.
"Any officer would have done the same thing that we did," Hennessy said. "We happened to be in the right place at the right time. We did our job and I am sure that any other officer would have done the same thing."
"The Fire Department was right behind us that night," he added. "We weren't the only ones there. They were there with a boat and special suits to go into the water. When we came out of the water, we were cold and we were probably suffering from mild hypothermia. The chief took over our care that night and we thank him for that."
Guglielmo said he will leave the town with these three honors to protect citizens at a higher level.
He will be deployed with the Army National Guard for the second time in the coming months, he said.

"We wish Domenic the very best of luck," O'Rourke said. "He will be in our prayers and we wish him the best of luck."

May 17, 2007

IT WAS ONLY A .........DRILL AMANDA K. LOWE, DAILY TIMES

COVENTRY - No one was hurt at Knotty Oak Middle School yesterday, and local officials say they want to keep it that way. That's why several different agencies came together at the school for a full-scale school shooting exercise, they said. The Coventry Emergency Management Agency and the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency jointly sponsored the exercise involving a simulated emergency. Two mock invaders entered Knotty Oak Middle School yesterday as part of the exercise.

At about 9:10 yesterday morning, a 38-year-old emotionally disturbed male and his 17-year-old son, played by Coventry Police Detectives Brian D. Sullivan and Joseph M. Vigeant, entered the school.The subjects were each armed with a plastic caliber handgun and a pretend chlorine bomb.

"We were playing two people disgruntled with the town government and the school department," Sullivan said. "We wanted to get back at them, and what better way to do that than endangering students?"

The subjects walked unnoticed through the chorus and band area and were approached by Kim Sturdhal, a behavioral specialist at the school. The subjects shot Sturdhal and threw their chlorine bombs. An administrator heard the commotion and called for a lockdown of the school. There were 800 students in the building at the time of the exercise; 100 students were on a field trip, Coventry Fire Chief Robert Seltzer said.

"The whole point of the simulated situation was for us to exercise our plan of action for a school shooting and our ability to deal with the chemicals and the invaders," Seltzer said. "We set the objectives we would like to meet and there were evaluators on scene who took notes about everything going on. We will then analyze what needs improvement. The event revolves around the operation aspect of it. We have the equipment needed but we have never exercised it to this level."

About seven police officers were first-responders to the scene. They investigated the building and found the invaders in the chorus room with a teacher and about 20 students. They also found students, in the front school yard, who had evacuated the building after being hit with the chlorine bomb in the hallway. "Inside the building, it was really tense for the first-responders," said Officer David Fraatz. "Through successful negotiations, we apprehended the shooters."

"The biggest concern of the officers who first respond is finding the intruder and preventing any fatalities," Seltzer added. "They will then be concerned with the life safety of the victims who were wounded."

While the police negotiated with the shooters, other officers set up the town's incident command center, which includes a camera to monitor the scene, Internet connections, and an interoperable communication system, Seltzer said.

Fraatz was one of the first negotiators to speak with the shooters. "We met the subjects' demands and talked to them," Fraatz said. "We gave a little and then took a little back. The first responders aren't necessarily trained for negotiations but it came as common sense from time being on the job. It really was a good learning experience."

Once the police had the invaders in custody, they brought the 20 students affected by the chlorine outside to undergo two decontamination processes.
First the students underwent gross decontamination, in which they were sprayed down by a fire hose. Next, the students entered a decontamination tent in which a team in fully enclosed suits washed the chemicals off the students. Ambulatory students were able to walk through the tent and non-ambulatory victims rode a conveyor belt through the tent. "There are four chambers inside the tent," said Frank Brown, Hopkins Hill Fire District chief. "There is an undress chamber, a wash chamber, a rinse chamber, and a redress chamber. They are washed with warm water and Johnson's Baby Shampoo because that works best and is much less intrusive. The students are IDed by priority of who needs medical attention, and shipped to the hospital. It is a critical step to get the chemicals off the victims and to prevent the chemicals from getting on anyone else."

The school department also tested its lockdown system by pulling the fire alarm. During lockdown, students are not supposed to leave classrooms unless escorted by the police. "Even if the fire alarm goes off, no one should be coming out of the classrooms," Seltzer said. "What if the intruder pulled the fire alarm so he could shoot everyone as they come running out of the classrooms? We want to prevent that." This test went successfully as no one came out of the classrooms while the fire alarm was going off.

Once the police determined there were no other intruders in the school, they evacuated the entire building. "Everything went as it should," Superintendent Kenneth DiPietro said. "We saw that all the agencies can mobilize and work together in a situation like this. The schools were able to work together, too. All the elementary schools and the high school were on alert and no one was allowed to enter those schools. It took about 11 minutes for us to contact all the schools and summon all the social workers and psychologists to the scene."

The Coventry Human Services Department also had its staff on scene. "Our team will work with the school department team," said Pat Shurtleff, director of human services. "We will determine who needs the most help - whether it be parents, students, victims, or teachers. The Kent Center is also on call in case we need additional support."

Overall, Seltzer said, he thought the simulation went well.

"All the agencies and departments came together successfully," Seltzer said. "I am sure there are things that we can improve upon. I saw a few minor things go wrong but we'll see what happened when we sit down and talk to everyone."

After the simulation, everyone involved sat down with the evaluators to discuss the day's events. Seltzer said a report of how everything went will be released in June. The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency funded this event with Homeland Security grant funds, said Brittan Bates, a public information officer for the emergency management agency. "We will be doing these within all different communities on a first-come first-serve basis," Bates said. "A big one will be at the airport this fall when we simulate a hijacking. They are all important to make sure the state and municipal agencies are prepared for any type of situation that may occur."

Students were briefed on the simulation prior to the exercise and permission slips for participating in the exercise were sent home to parents. The police also alerted the surrounding neighborhood that the simulation would be occurring. "Today was fun because we knew it was going to happen but it would be really scary to go through all this in a real-life situation," said James Bessett, an eighth-grader at the school who was in the hallway when the bomb went off. "Now we know what to do if this really happens," added Brandon Colon, also an eighth-grader. "We know what to expect if a chemical bomb goes off and if our school goes into lockdown."

May 17, 2007

Mission Accomplished

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, May 17, 2007

By Lisa Vernon-Sparks

Journal Staff Writer

COVENTRY Yesterday’s mock invasion of Knotty Oak Middle School by a scruffy father and son brandishing handguns and a pair of milk jugs filled with toxic chemicals went off without a hitch, by all accounts.

The 1½-hour exercise was plotted out by the town and state emergency management agencies, and featured role-playing by about 100 town police officers, firefighters, rescue personnel and others.

The scenario: Two men in torn Army fatigues — members of the “Coventry Militia” which has shadowy ties to neo-Nazi groups — enter the building through the door of the chorus room at about 9 a.m. They confront a female school staff member in a corridor and shoot her. They throw one of their chlorine-container bombs into one classroom and enter a second classroom, taking the 20 students there hostage.

Other teachers size up the situation, lock their classroom doors and call the authorities. Within a short time emergency vehicles, sirens screaming and emergency lights flashing, pull up to the school, on Foster Drive, and command centers are established. About 18 firefighters, including personnel in haz-mat suits, set up a decontamination shower in anticipation of treating students hit by the chemicals.

Meanwhile, the communications center relays word to all schools in the state to warn they might be about to face similar assaults.

Within 20 minutes, three police negotiators secure the surrender of the two miscreants — played by Coventry Detectives Brian D. Sullivan and Joseph M. Vigeant — and the student hostages either walk out of the building or are carried out. About a dozen are given showers and redressed in disposable hospital gowns.

All students at the school had been thoroughly briefed about the exercise, and although there were some miscues — some “contaminated” youngsters walked out of the building and had to returned so they could be carried — it had its desired effect, officials said.

And the intruders (whose .38-caliber handguns were replicas) at times abandoned their roles to give their “hostages” some serious advice on how they should behave.

“The fake gunmen told us what we should do,” said Sean Gallagher, 14. “They tell you that you should follow all instructions the gunmen give you and try to sit quietly, so you won’t get shot.”

The exercise, the first of its kind in Coventry, went smoothly, said Central Coventry Fire Chief Robert Seltzer, who headed one of the command centers.

“Looking at the schedule . . . everyone was right on button. I’m sure there are things we can improve upon. We need to hear from everyone,” Seltzer said.

March 19, 2007

Physical Agility Test is scheduled for 04/28/07 at 8:00am. All candidates interested must have their applications in prior to the testing date.

March 19, 2007

Applications now being accepted for the upcoming 2007 Citizens Police Academy Click here for details

Febuary 2007

APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR POLICE OFFICERS CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION DETAILS

December 27, 2006

COVENTRY - Police Officer Enzo always finds his man. His secret? Enzo sniffs him out. Literally.

Enzo, the Coventry Police Department's newly acquired police dog, has been used in investigations seven or eight times over the past few months, said police. And so far, the four-legged officer has exceeded expectations."His performance has been excellent," said Officer Bryan Ricci, Enzo's partner. "He's a great dog and he loves to work."Enzo, who was purchased over the summer through Connecticut K-9 Services, is a male Czechoslovakian-born German Shepherd. According to Ricci, Enzo is typically used in tracking suspects who have fled crime scenes. "He always finds the guy," said Ricci. One particular domestic disturbance case, officers weren't able to find the suspect; he had left the scene before we got there. Enzo was able to track him down."In describing Enzo's tracking ability, Ricci said, "Basically, all I need is the direction of where a suspect may have fled."Ricci added, "Every one of us leaves behind ground disturbances and scents. He can track those scents until he finds the person."Most recently, Enzo was involved in searching for a man who fled his crashed vehicle following an accident in the area of the New London Turnpike, said Ricci. "We had active footsteps from the area of the New London Turnpike and Division Road, and tracked them over to Hopkins Hill Road," said Ricci. "We had fresh footprints from there that led us into a junkyard. We didn't locate him in the junkyard, but tracked footsteps back to the New London Turnpike. When we went back, we located the passenger of the vehicle. We sent Enzo back into the woods and he was able to locate the driver hiding behind a tree."Ricci said that when Enzo's not busy tracking criminals at work, he's usually at home with Ricci doing customary housedog activities."He's a very friendly dog," said Ricci. "He plays with my niece and nephew and gets along great with them. Even when he's at work he comes in the station and plays with all the guys. But when it comes time to work he has the ability to switch, and he's all business. He switches very well from work-mode to not-work-mode."Ricci said having a police dog for a pet hasn't been nearly as difficult a transition as some might imagine."I've always had dogs so it hasn't been too bad," said Ricci. "I actually had another German Shepherd at home when we purchased Enzo. Unfortunately she didn't get along to well with him and I had to get rid of her."Ricci said come April, Enzo, who completed an intense 16-week basic police service K-9 academy in September, will go undergo another rigorous training process - this time a narcotics tracking program. "He's going back to school in April for narcotics training so he'll be able to detect different types of drugs," said Ricci. "That training will run 10 weeks. He will learn how to detect marijuana and its derivatives, cocaine and its derivatives, heroin, Ecstasy, and meth."Ricci added, "It takes the dogs about two weeks per scent to fully learn it. Training takes place at the Bristol County Sheriff's Office. The trainer is Deputy Derek Alves. He's the one who did all of Enzo's patrol training."And, as was the case with Enzo's basic training, Ricci will accompany him through the narcotics training as well.

"Everything that he's done I've had to do with him," said Ricci. "I'm only as good as the dog and he's only as good as me. We work together."

©Kent County Daily Times 2006

December 14, 2006

New officers sworn to duty in Coventry John H. Gendron Daily Times The Coventry Police Department recently welcomed five new members to its ranks. Coventry Police Chief Brian O’Rourke officially swore in five new officers on Monday evening. The newest members of the Coventry police force are Joshua M. Hendrickson, Bradford L. Barco Jr., Richard G. Pendola, Robert J. Jacavone, and Pedro M. Vieira. According to O’Rourke, the officers have recently completed a rigorous training regimen — both physical and mental — and are currently in the midst of a 10-week field training program. “In May and June, they all had to pass the physical agility exam, the written exam, a medical exam, a psychological exam, and then graduate from the state’s Municipal Police Academy,” said O’Rourke. “They are now in the process of 10 weeks of field training where they will learn our department’s policies and procedures and ride along with certified trainers before going out on their own,” O’Rourke said. The five men began the process of becoming a Coventry police officer by submitting applications in April of 2006, but, as O’Rourke pointed out, “by the time they go out on their own, it will be almost one year from the time they applied.” The department released brief biographies for each of its new members. Hendrickson graduated from Warwick’s Toll Gate High School in 1998 and went on to receive an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y. He is currently a Black Hawk Helicopter pilot in the Rhode Island National Guard and recently returned home after serving a 15-month tour in Iraq. Barco graduated from Exeter-West Greenwich High School in 1998. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement from the Community College of Rhode Island. Barco, like Hendrickson, is a member of the Rhode Island National Guard. He has worked as an aircraft maintenance technician for the past three years. Barco returned last January after a term in Iraq, where he served as a Crew Chief. Pendola, a 1991 graduate of Coventry High School, was previously employed as a correctional officer at the Adult Correctional Institute in Cranston for seven years. Prior to that, he was employed by the Wyatt Federal Detention Facility for one year. Pendola received an Associate’s Degree from the Community College of Rhode Island in Business Administration and is currently working toward his Bachelor’s Degree in Justice Studies at Rhode Island College. Jacavone is a 2001 graduate of Johnston High School who received his Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Communication from Bryant University in May of 2005. He also served in the Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) Program at Providence College and received a degree in Military Science commissioned by the United States Army. Jacavone worked for his family business, Jacavone Garden Center, for six years. He also worked as a military recruiter at the Providence College ROTC. Vieira graduated from West Warwick High School in 2002 and earned an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement from the Community College of Rhode Island. Previously, Vieira worked at Shaw’s Supermarket for seven years as well as as a security guard at Amgen for three years. He has been a member of the West Warwick Police Department Explorers and currently serves as an advisor. Vieira was also a West Warwick Police Department Community Officer for two years. According to Captain James Rickard, the police department is still looking for several new officers. Applications can be found on the department’s Web site at www.coventrypd.org.

December 1, 2006

Congratulations to OFF. Joshua Hendrickson, OFF. Richard Pendola, OFF. Robert Jacavone, OFF. Pedro Vieira, OFF. Bradford Barco for successfully completeling their training at the RI Municipal Police Academy. These new officers were sworn in after the graduation ceremony and will begin their FTO phase starting December 4, 2006.

November 9, 2006

Det. Sgt. Tommasso and Off. Harris were announced as Police Officers of the Year for 2006. Both officers were acknolwedged at a Public Safety Banquet which was held at the West Greenwich Elks Lodge. Additional Members from Coventry Fire Department as well as members of West Greenwich Police and Fire were also acknowledged at the event for their outstanding achievements throughout the year.

October 24, 2006

Courtesy of the Providence Journal Bulletin

BY LISA VERNON-SPARKS > > Journal Staff Writer > >

COVENTRY-- Enzo, an energetic 2-year-old German seems a typical pet when he's playing fetch with his master Coventry police Officer Bryan Ricci. But when Ricci snaps the German phrase "pass auf,'' which mean ``guard,'' or the word "such," which means ``track and search,'' Enzo's all business. He springs into action, ready to apprehend a criminal, track down a missing person in the woods or find an intruder hiding in a building. "He's another tool to help us and make our jobs safer and easier. If he was something we could carry on our belts, we would,'' said Ricci. "He is a good tool, a good crime deterrent. When people see a dog, they are less likely to run away, less likely to rush us." Last night, Town Manager Richard I. Kerbel swore in Enzo as the newest member of the Police Department and Ricci pinned a gold badge on Enzo's leather collar. As of then, the 93-pound Enzo officially became the department's new K-9 unit. Enzo, bred in the Czech Republic, arrived here in January from Connecticut K-9 Services, purchased by the department with a $4,000 grant from the General Assembly. Since then, the dog has lived with Ricci and his wife, Dana, who will continue to provide Enzo's housing. In May, the dog was enrolled in a four-month training program operated by the Bristol County, Mass., Sheriff's Department. The training included responding to voice commands -- in German -- and performing maneuvers in response to hand gestures. Next April, it's back to school, also at the Sheriff's Department, to learn how to sniff out heroin, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and ecstasy, Ricci said. (That talent can help establish ``probable cause'' to search a vehicle in a traffic stop, he said.) Coventry's department, with a complement of about 60 officers, for years had wanted a K-9 unit, but cost got in the way; a fully trained dog can cost $10,000, Ricci said. On occasions when officers searched woods for lost people or fugitives, the department borrowed dogs from other agencies, said Chief Brian O'Rourke. Now, there will be no waiting. "It's important to get the dog to the scene quickly, before the tracks begin to disappear,'' O'Rourke said. About four years ago, Detective Capt. Bryan Volpe asked Ricci if he wanted to be the department's official dog handler. Ricci, who is a seven-year veteran of the force, jumped at the chance. Scanning the Internet, Ricci did the research to find a dog suitable for training, wrote a proposal for Chief O'Rourke and even arranged for free schooling by the Bristol County Sheriff's Department. "That was the last I heard of it,'' Ricci said, until last year when Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis, a Coventry Democrat, secured the $4,000 legislative grant. Enzio is likely to see seven to eight years of active service, after which he'll live in retirement with the Ricci family. Local businesses are donating food for the dog. And that's not all. While Enzo isn't armed -- except for his teeth -- he's got his own bullet-proof vest, courtesy of Rhode Island Vest-a-Dog, Ricci said.

October 5, 2006

The Coventry Animal Control will be holding a PAWS for Fall Festival on OCTOBER 29th. For more information click on the ANIMAL CONTROL Link.

October 1, 2006

Beginning October 1st, 2006 The Coventry Police Department will begin an OPEN APPLICATION PROCESS. Applications may be obtained from the Coventry Town Hall, Personnel Department, 1670 Flat River Road, between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Application can also be picked up at the Coventry Police Station, 1075 Main St. Coventry, Rhode Island 02816, or downloaded from the web site under the online forms section or by clicking APPLICATION.

Once an application pool has been established, applicants will be contacted and notified of the testing dates.

All applications must be returned to the Personnel Office.

September 18, 2006
Officer Bryan Ricci and K9 Officer Enzo graduated from the Bristol County Sheriff's K9 training Program. The ceremony was held at the Bristol County Sheriff Department in Massachusetts. Officer Ricci along with Bristol County Sherrif, Anthony Pereira participated in a seventeen week course specializing in K9 Patrol. Off. Ricci and K9-Enzo will join routine patrols beginning Spetember 20, 2006. Click here to learn more about the Bristol County Sheriff's

August 26, 2006

The Coventry Police Peer Support Team held an awareness picnic at the Warwick FOP. The event was attended by members and their familes of Coventry, West Greenwich and West Warwick Police. The event was held as an informal gathering which educated family members about the important role the Peer Support Team plays at the department.

Click here for more information about the Peer Support Team.

Click here for photographs taken at this years event.

August 14, 2006

The following recruits begin training at the RI Municipal Police Academy. (Joshua Hendrickson, Richard Pendola, Robert Jacavone, Pedro Vieira, Bradford Barco). These recruits are scheduled to graduate the Academy on December 1, 2006. Once the recruits successfully complete the RIMPA they will begin the FTO program and are tentatively scheduled to join the patrol division in late January.

August 3, 2006

The 2006 Citizens Police Academey Graduation was held at the town hall. The following students received certificated of completion. Ashley Laccalaide, Jack Everling, Jo-Anne Bates, Teresa Carr, Michael Fiola, Samantha Maini, Gary Cote, Nicole Wietrak, Ashley Ledoux, and Richard Larmer.

July 24, 2006

School Resource Officer Robert Sturdahl is promoted to the Rank of Sergeant

Officer Steven Gabriel is sworn in as a Full Time Police Officer with the Coventry Police Force.

July 1st

Big Brothers of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association have partnered on a major fundraising initiative that will target the sweet tooths of Rhode Islanders this summer. The Coventry Police Department will be selling these cookies during the next few months. Cookies will be $5.00 per box. Please help out, enjoy some great cookies and make a donation to the BIG BROTHERS OF RHODE ISLAND at the same time!

If you wish to place a cookie order please come down to the police station and fill out an order form. Please do not call the police station to order cookies! Order will be accepted until the end of August.

June 26, 2006

Lt. James Rickard is Promoted to the rank of Patrol Captain

Sgt. Robin Winslow is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant

Coventry Police Recruitment

The Coventry Police is currently accepting applications for patrol officers.

Click here for more Information.

RI Top Ten Most Wanted

Whats New at The Coventry Police Department

Feb 2008

Coventry fraud investigator gets national recognition

01:00 AM EDT on Friday, October 19, 2007

"We wish Domenic the very best of luck," O'Rourke said. "He will be in our prayers and we wish him the best of luck."

May 17, 2007

May 17, 2007

Mission Accomplished

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, May 17, 2007

By Lisa Vernon-Sparks Journal Staff Writer

COVENTRY Yesterday’s mock invasion of Knotty Oak Middle School by a scruffy father and son brandishing handguns and a pair of milk jugs filled with toxic chemicals went off without a hitch, by all accounts.

The 1½-hour exercise was plotted out by the town and state emergency management agencies, and featured role-playing by about 100 town police officers, firefighters, rescue personnel and others.

Meanwhile, the communications center relays word to all schools in the state to warn they might be about to face similar assaults.

All students at the school had been thoroughly briefed about the exercise, and although there were some miscues — some “contaminated” youngsters walked out of the building and had to returned so they could be carried — it had its desired effect, officials said.

And the intruders (whose .38-caliber handguns were replicas) at times abandoned their roles to give their “hostages” some serious advice on how they should behave.

“The fake gunmen told us what we should do,” said Sean Gallagher, 14. “They tell you that you should follow all instructions the gunmen give you and try to sit quietly, so you won’t get shot.”

The exercise, the first of its kind in Coventry, went smoothly, said Central Coventry Fire Chief Robert Seltzer, who headed one of the command centers.

“Looking at the schedule . . . everyone was right on button. I’m sure there are things we can improve upon. We need to hear from everyone,” Seltzer said.

March 19, 2007

Physical Agility Test is scheduled for 04/28/07 at 8:00am. All candidates interested must have their applications in prior to the testing date.

March 19, 2007

Applications now being accepted for the upcoming 2007 Citizens Police Academy Click here for details

Febuary 2007

December 14, 2006

December 1, 2006

November 9, 2006

October 24, 2006

Courtesy of the Providence Journal Bulletin

BY LISA VERNON-SPARKS > > Journal Staff Writer > >

October 5, 2006

The Coventry Animal Control will be holding a PAWS for Fall Festival on OCTOBER 29th. For more information click on the ANIMAL CONTROL Link.

October 1, 2006

Once an application pool has been established, applicants will be contacted and notified of the testing dates.

All applications must be returned to the Personnel Office.

August 26, 2006

August 14, 2006

August 3, 2006

The 2006 Citizens Police Academey Graduation was held at the town hall. The following students received certificated of completion. Ashley Laccalaide, Jack Everling, Jo-Anne Bates, Teresa Carr, Michael Fiola, Samantha Maini, Gary Cote, Nicole Wietrak, Ashley Ledoux, and Richard Larmer.

July 24, 2006

School Resource Officer Robert Sturdahl is promoted to the Rank of Sergeant

Officer Steven Gabriel is sworn in as a Full Time Police Officer with the Coventry Police Force.

July 1st

If you wish to place a cookie order please come down to the police station and fill out an order form. Please do not call the police station to order cookies! Order will be accepted until the end of August.

Read more about The World's Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie™

June 26, 2006

Lt. James Rickard is Promoted to the rank of Patrol Captain

Sgt. Robin Winslow is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant

Coventry Police Recruitment

By Lisa Vernon-Sparks

Journal Staff Writer