Mayor Brian Arrigo honors eight promoted officers of the Revere Police Department; Mangino Makes History as First Female Captain
September 18, 2017
On Monday, September 18, 2017, Mayor Brian Arrigo formally promoted eight officers of the Revere Police Department to new ranks:
Captain Steven Ford
Captain Michelle Mangino
Lieutenant Patrick Dusseault
Lieutenant Thomas Malone
Sergeant Robert Zagarella
Sergeant Jackie Dean
Sergeant John Gagliardi
Sergeant Joe Internicola
Captain Mangino made history as the first female captain of the Revere Police Department. Mayor Arrigo offers his sincere congratulations to all eight public servants and their families on this honor.
Below are Mayor Arrigo's remarks at the promotion ceremony, as prepared for delivery:
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"Good afternoon everyone. I’m honored to be here today for the promotion of these eight members of our Revere Police Department.
As mayor, I am humbled to be here. It is always a special day when we get to recognize and honor some of Revere’s most dedicated public servants.
When I stand here to welcome new recruits into the police or fire department, I ask them to pledge not only to perform to the best of their ability, but also to embrace their role as community ambassadors.
Our Police Officers, Firefighters and city leaders have a tremendous responsibility and opportunity to set the example for our youth on how to be a professional, how to conduct yourself in public, and how to live a life that is dedicated to serving others.
For those standing behind me today, it is clear that acting in that manner is what led you to this exact moment. You’ve put in the work. You’ve dedicated your life to serving and protecting the public. Now, it is time to recognize your efforts.
While today’s promotions represent a new chapter in your career, you should remind yourselves that your role as an ambassador of our community will continue to evolve. As you move up the ranks, take on more responsibility, and face difficult challenges, you should remember this very moment--the moment you started the new chapter in your career as an ambassador of our city.
You are the person our children look up to. You are a leader who is entrusted with keeping our neighborhoods safe. It is you who will raise the bar for our community and set the example of how we can work together to make Revere a great place to live and raise a family.
The impact you have had and will continue to have on the lives of our residents, every single day, will last long beyond a brief conversation. Every traffic stop, every 911 call, every community event and frankly, every “hello” or high five you share with a child will impact how our community embraces the police department.
I was struck the other day when reading a column in the Boston Globe, telling the story of a Malden Police officer. Patrolman Borges is an immigrant from Brazil who came to the U.S. at the age of 5, served as a Marine, then went on to become a police officer.
One day while he was on detail, a woman drove by with a Gold Star Family license plate. Her father had been killed serving in Vietnam when she was just 15 years old.
Officer Borges noted the plate, changed his posture, raised his hand and stood in a respectful salute as the woman drove by.
This, quick, small, yet touching gesture reduced the driver to tears. She had no idea who the officer was, but she went to the police station and told the officer at the front desk her story. That officer let the Chief know--and the Chief made sure to call Officer Borges into his office to let him know how much the resident appreciated that simple act.
What I love about this story is that it turned a quick act of kindness into a moment that personally connected the resident with the police department.
The officer played his role by showing respect to a resident whose family had served our country.
The Chief played his role by making sure to recognize the positive impact the officer had on the resident. These actions, and many like them, deserve recognition. Often times, these are the stories that don’t make the paper - the ones that people don’t know about, but absolutely should.
In this next chapter of your career, I have no doubt you’ll have interactions such as these that go unrecognized by the media. But they are absolutely recognized by the residents you interact with.
As leaders of the Revere Police Department, you will all be called upon to deepen ties with our residents - and with the patrolmen and women in your own department, making sure that they feel recognized and appreciated for the hard work they do each day.
I know how daunting the task of building strong, lasting relationships with the community can be, especially during these challenging and turbulent times. But today, this work is more critical than ever.
My pledge as mayor is to provide you the support, the training, and the tools you need to keep our residents and businesses safe. I ask you to be candid with me about what those needs are, and what I can do to make sure we are continuing to make our community a safe place for all.
Thank you to each and every one of you for your service and your dedication to our city. I wish you the best of luck in your new positions, and I am honored to be a part of this ceremony today. Congratulations to you and your families on this great honor.
Step forward. The Clerk will deliver the oath.
Thank you."