Medford Native is Melrose's Newest Officer

MEDFORD — The following is a press release from the Melrose Police Department:

Chief Michael Lyle is pleased to announce that there’s a new face at the Melrose Police Department.
Officer Richard Cooney began as a full-time officer on Nov. 7 following his graduation from the Lowell Police Academy.

A native of Medford, Officer Cooney graduated from Saint Anselm College in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in financial economics and then went on to work in the financial services field for 15 years. It was during that time that he received his master’s degree in business administration from Babson College. He was also deployed to Iraq from 2008 to 2009, and later Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012 with the United States Marine Corps Reserve.

Due to his time in the military and serving overseas, Officer Cooney decided to pursue a career in law enforcement, and in 2015, left finances to begin the process of becoming a police officer.

“The addition of Officer Cooney is certainly a great asset to our department,” Chief Lyle said. “He has already shown great dedication to both the department and the community of Melrose.”

Photo: Police Chief Michael Lyle (left) and Officer Richard Cooney.