WILBRAHAM — The Wilbraham Select Board interviewed and appointed Ostaquio Rodrigues and Nicholas Cervizzi to the Wilbraham Police Department in its Dec. 15 meeting.
Police Chief Edward Lennon presented the candidates to the Select Board.
Rodrigues is full time post-certified and currently working for a local police department.
Lennon said he can start relatively immediately. Born and raised in Brazil, Rodrigues moved to the United States when he was 18, working in construction and auto dealing until he met his wife and moved to Massachusetts. He has been a police officer for five years.
Rodrigues said he knew the Wilbraham Police Department is one “many want to join.” He added his interest to join the team was sparked after learning about the open position from a friend within the department.
“I’m a hard working man,” Rodrigues said. “I love interacting with the community, and the way I choose to interact with the community is through doing what I love about the job.”
Rodrigues said he is not a “big ticket rider.” Instead, he said he loves giving back to the community by teaching motor vehicle laws and talking to youth drivers about consequences of bad driving habits.
“I stop people, talk to people, educate them,” Rodrigues said. “That’s what I love to do about the job.”
Select Board member Marc Ducey asked Rodrigues what drew him to Wilbraham and the community. Rodrgiues said he heard great things about the department and doesn’t know much about the community itself.
“The financial opportunity to be here is great and that’s what I’m looking for, to be able to work in a place that’s gonna offer me financial growth and professional growth” Rodrigues said. “Unfortunately, at the place that I’m at right now, I don’t have that.”
Rodrigues added that he was interviewing for the opportunity to learn about the town of Wilbraham, work closely with the community and educate the public. He said he sees Wilbraham as a place to stay long term in and a place it has a lot to offer to him.
Ducey asked what Rodrigues believed were the most important qualities to be an effective police officer, and Rodrigues said any police officer should have integrity and honesty while being a hard worker. When it comes to deescalating a situation, he said “keep account of your voice, look them in the eyes and listen to them.”
Ducey moved to appoint Rodrigues, contingent on the successful completion of a pre-employment medical screening, psychological assessment and physical abilities test requirements. The Select Board voted in favor.
Cervizzi’s interview with the Select Board followed. He is not post-certified and would have to attend a police academy. Cervizzi has security captain experience from Six Flags, overseeing all daily activities within the security department. From August 2017 to July 2019, he worked with the Holyoke Auxiliary Police Department, assisting the Holyoke Police Department during large town events. He currently works in the maximum security level at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield, Connecticut.
“Since I was a child, growing up, my life long goal was to become a police officer,” Cervizzi said. “Obviously, all my jobs have kind of been on some sort of track with that. Now, I am ready to make the jump from the corrections side of it over to the actual, on the street, law enforcement side of it.”
Cervizzi said he feels as if he’s missing something within his job at the prison and wants to “go out in the world and serve the community on a daily basis, rather than being behind the walls the whole time.”
Ducey asked Cervizzi what attracts him to Wilbraham and Cervizzi said he is in Wilbraham almost on a daily basis and “loves the town itself.”
“I was doing a bunch of research on the Police Department, and it’s kind of exactly what I’m looking for,” Cervizzi said. “Theres 28 full time officers. It’s a department that’s not too big, where you’re kind of just a number, and it’s not a department that’s too small, where you’re by yourself out there.”
Ducey followed by asking what Cervizzi believed were a police officer’s most important qualities, to which he replied integrity, professionalism, critical thinking and impartiality.
Chair Michael Squindo asked where Cervizzi may see himself in five years. He said he hopes to be on patrol in Wilbraham.
“I like the idea of going out and interacting with the citizens of Wilbraham on a daily basis, being there for them when they need us,” Cervizzi said.
Ducey moved to appoint Cervizzi under the same contingencies of Rodrigues’ appointment. The Select Board voted in favor.
