Published in the March 1, 2017 edition
POLICE CHIEF David Breen (left) recommended the promotion of patrol officer Christopher DeCarlo (center) to sergeant and the appointment of Alex Doto (right) to patrol officer after both candidates ranked highest on their respective exams and interviews. Both appointments were endorsed by the selectmen Monday and followed the retirement of Sgt. David Mayerson after a 40-year career. The proclamation the board presented to Mayerson in absentia is held by Breen. (Maureen Doherty Photo)
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
LYNNFIELD — A new patrol officer was appointed to the Lynnfield Police Department and a current patrol officer was promoted to sergeant at Monday’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting.
Police Chief David Breen introduced both men, patrol officer Alex Doto and Sergeant Christopher DeCarlo, to the board and a full house of their colleagues and family members prior to the votes taken by the selectmen to confirm their respective appointments.
Utilizing the Civil Service list, Breen said they had officers who had scored very well on that exam and were subsequently invited for interviews to become the next patrol officer
“After the interview process and the exam, Lynnfield resident Alex Doto was rated number one,” Breen said. “Alex was a 2006 graduate of Lynnfield High School. He graduated from Salem State College in 2011 and from the 2012 Transit Academy. The academy experience is important. Because of this, he will be able to start working the street. We’ll have him do a very short field training,” Breen said.
“Officer Doto is currently employed by the town of Groveland so he has three or four years experience as a police officer as well. We’re very happy to have Officer Doto to introduce to you tonight,” Breen added.
Upon welcoming the new officer to the police force, Selectmen Chairman Phil Crawford said, “I can’t tell you how happy I am to have another resident who grew up in town to become a local officer. Your case is one of the best cases we could have had. You are young, a fairly recent graduate of our high school. You’ve gone through the academy, you’ve got your training. You’ve already had some service training on the job and to be able to have you come in and within your first month be on full-time duty is probably the best situation we could imagine.”
“Knowing your family as well as I do, you come from a great family. I’m proud to have you has a Lynnfield resident. You’ll be a great addition to our Lynnfield Police Department,” commented Selectman Chris Barrett.
Barrett added that if there was anything Doto needed in the future from the selectmen “to support you in your new position, I’ll be there for you. I thank you for your service to the police and to the town of Lynnfield.”
In offering his congratulations, Selectman Dick Dalton told Doto that he “looks forward to your work on the police force in the years to come and I wish you the best.”
Breen then introduced DeCarlo to the board by stating, “one of our officers took the recent promotional exam for sergeant. He scored the highest of the officers that took the exam.”
A 2013 graduate of the Reading Academy, Breen stated that DeCarlo had also “attended the Mass. School of Law in 2013 and passed the bar that same year. He arrived in Lynnfield in 2015. He scored number one on the exam and we are extremely proud to have him as a member of our staff.”
During his tenure as an officer with the local department, Breen said DeCarlo “has been very helpful with extracurricular activities within the department, having volunteered to assist me with policy and procedures.”
DeCarlo was also recently appointed as one of the department’s liquor control agents, Breen said, noting that DeCarlo was “instrumental in getting that aspect of the department up and running. I felt there was a void there. Currently, officer DeCarlo is assisting us in a recent incident which occurred at one of the establishments at MarketStreet where there was potentially some over-serving, so he is very much in the mix.”
Crawford thanked DeCarlo for his service to the town and the success he has found here. “I am very happy that you have worked your way up and now we can appoint you as a sergeant. We’re very proud of you,” Crawford said, who noted that he has been told by others who had taken the sergeant’s exam that it is “difficult” and “similar to the bar exam.”
Barrett said he was impressed by how quickly DeCarlo has worked his way up through the ranks and that he was also pleased that DeCarlo is “focused on making sure that the establishments at MarketStreet are adhering to the law and the rules and regulations” concerning their liquor licenses. “Anything we can do to support you in your position, please let us know,” Barrett added.
“Congratulations, sergeant. I’m sure that sounds very good to you,” said Dalton, adding and that his promotion was “well-deserved. I’m looking forward to working with you in the future.”
Sgt. Mayerson commended
DeCarlo’s promotion to sergeant followed the recent retirement of Sgt. David Mayerson, and DeCarlo’s promotion created an opening in the patrol force.
Mayerson, whose career with the Lynnfield Police Department spanned 40 years starting in 1977, was presented with a proclamation from the selectmen Monday night in absentia. Breen joked that he could not convince Mayerson to come up north from Florida to receive the proclamation in person.
Mayerson served as a patrolman from 1977 to 2010 and was subsequently appointed to sergeant in 2010. The proclamation noted that “on several occasions during his tenure…his conduct caused him to receive citations from the Police Chief and the Board of Selectmen, citing his bravery, initiative and investigative skills.”
The proclamation also recognized Mayerson’s service to the town as Executive Director of LIFE, Inc. for “exhibiting the same concern for the residents, analytic abilities and good humor that he has always shown as a police officer.”
Breen said he had worked with Mayerson since 1994. “Quite frankly, I was happy he stayed as long as he did. I was successful in talking him into staying a little bit longer, but he felt the time was right. He told me he was very happy he made the decision at the right time. We thank Dave for everything he’s done for the community and the Police Department. He was very instrumental in IT issues. If I had any problems, I could go to Dave and he’d have the answer.”
