VIDEO: Newton Police Welcome New Recruits to the Force

Following the Medal of Valor ceremony for Officer Peter Wade, Newton Police welcomed in six new recruits to the department yesterday.  To view the video of the swearing-in and pinning, click the video box to the right. 

The new officers – Ronald J. McNeil, Jr., Timothy W. Walton, Justin M. Lau, Stephen H. Giardina, Matthew C. Tocci and Zoi H. Lazarakis – were sworn in by Mayor Setti Warren and honored with an official pinning ceremony.

“Today, you will become a member of a police department that prides itself on its safe streets and safe community,” said Police Chief Matthew Cummings. “You will find out just how hard we work at keeping it that way.”

Earlier in the day, the six officers were sworn in with the Transit Police after completing the MBTA Police Academy.   

To learn more about each of the recruits, check out their biographies below as provided by the :

Officer Ronald J. McNeil Jr.
Officer Ronald J. McNeil Jr. was raised in West Newton and he graduated from Newton North High School in 2005. He then attended the University of Hartford in Connecticut where he studied business administration. Officer McNeil enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserves in 2006 and he deployed to Iraq during the 2008 and 2009 timeframe for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Once this deployment was complete he returned to Massachusetts and continued his college studies and Marine Corps Reserve commitment. In 2010, the Newton Police hired him and he was also promoted that year to the rank of corporal in the Marine Corps. Officer McNeil has received several military awards and he will be deploying to Afghanistan for a 12-month period beginning May 1, 2011. 

Officer Timothy W. Walton
Officer Timothy W. Walton was raised in Nonantum and he graduated from Newton North High School in 2004. He then attended Salem State College and in 2008 he graduated Suma Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. For the three years prior to entering the police academy, Officer Walton was employed with the Newton Police Department as an emergency telecommunications dispatcher. In April of 2010 he received a commendation from the chief of police and dispatch center commander for the excellent work he performed while on a 911 call with an anxious and soon-to-be father. The new father bordered on the hysterical and terrified side while then Dispatcher Walton calmly repeated medical instructions over the telephone until the baby was safely delivered at home.

Officer Justin M. Lau
Officer Justin M. Lau was raised in Newton Highlands and he graduated from Newton South High School in 2002. He is currently attending the University of Massachusetts in Boston where he is enrolled in the liberal arts program. Officer Lau worked as a pharmacy technician at CVS in Newtonville. He is the nephew of former Newton Police Officer Howard Lau and he was most recently elected the co-treasurer in his police academy class.

Officer Stephen H. Giardina
Officer Stephen H. Giardina was raised in West Newton and he graduated from Newton North High School in 2003. He then attended Mass Bay Community College in Wellesley where he received an Associate of Science degree in criminal justice. Officer Giardina received certification from the Municipal Police Training Committee in the Basic Reserve Intermittent Program, basic police mountain bike patrol, basic firearms safety and suicide prevention. He worked in security for several years with the Bentley University Campus Police Department before being hired by the Newton Police.

Officer Matthew C. Tocci
Officer Matthew C. Tocci was raised in West Newton and he graduated from Newton North High School in 2002. From the ages of 14 to 21 he was a member of the Newton Police Explorer Post 300, a division of the Boy Scouts of America, where he demonstrated great interest in the law enforcement career field and in his hometown police department. Upon graduating from high school, he attended Middlesex Community College in Bedford where he enrolled in the criminal justice program. Prior to attending the MBTA Transit Police Academy, where he happened to serve as vice president of his graduating class, Officer Tocci worked for the Penta Auto Body company for ten years and he ultimately worked his way to the upper management level while employed there.

Officer Zoi H. Lazarakis
Officer Zoi H. Lazarakis was raised in West Newton and she graduated from Newton North High School in 1999. She was a captain of her soccer team and also played basketball. She received the Girls Senior Cup award that honors “character, scholarship, athletics and personality.” After high school, Officer Lazarakis attended Regis College, majoring in psychology. While at Regis, she played softball and she was also captain for her soccer and basketball teams. She worked at Bentley University as a police dispatcher. Officer Lazarakis became a RAD instructor at Bentley University and helped that program grow. She has a very strong work ethic and a true passion for helping others and working with people. She loves all sports, enjoys the outdoors and has a fondness for animals. Both of her parts hail from Greece, and she is fluent in Greek.