Photos by Isabel Leon/Mayor’s Office
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The Boston Police Department welcomed 118 new officers into its ranks on Oct. 15 during a graduation ceremony at Faneuil Hall that celebrated the diversity of the incoming class, which had just completed a six-month training program at the Boston Police Academy.
The class also included one officer for the Boston Housing Authority Police Department, bringing the total number at the ceremony to 119.
“This class represents every culture of our city, every neighborhood throughout Boston,” said Mayor Michelle Wu, noting that 66 members of the class are bi-lingual and 18 have military backgrounds.
Wu also celebrated a milestone for the department: the graduation of its first Muslim women officers, including Amina No, whom she identified as the first Somali American woman to join the force, and Marama Dia, the first Ghanaian American woman.
The mayor said the recruits had already contributed nearly 2,500 hours of community service during their training, including activities with young athletes and senior citizens.
“This class already knows that serving your community means knowing your community,” Wu said. “You will be those mentors for our young people. You will be that inspiration for residents across the city.”
BPD Commissioner Michael Cox told the graduates that building relationships with residents must remain central to their work.
“In the Boston Police Department, each interaction with the public serves as an opportunity to build trust,” Cox said. “Our department’s goal is to build trust through shared understanding and partnership with our residents, our businesses in order to solve problems.”
Cox said community policing had been incorporated directly into the academy’s curriculum, giving recruits experience interacting with residents before they began their patrol assignments.
“Our city is safe by comparison to our past,” Cox said. “But in these volatile and uncertain times, we must continue to evolve and do more to keep us on the path of crime reduction and community safety.”
He also urged graduates to look after their own physical and emotional well-being as they entered a demanding profession.
“Take care of yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally,” he said, adding that officers should never be afraid or ashamed to ask for help.
Class president Maeve Roche (above), who said she would become the department’s youngest serving officer, described the demanding academy experience and the bonds formed among recruits.
The ceremony included awards recognizing academic achievement, physical fitness and leadership, followed by the traditional presentation of badges by family members.
Cox closed with a reminder of the graduates’ responsibilities: “Use every interaction as an opportunity to build trust with the public and you’ll never go wrong.”
