Two Officers Promoted at Wakefield Police Department

Two Wakefield Police officers moved up in rank this week at the Wakefield Police Department, effective November 4th, 2011.

Officer Steven Skory, who joined the force in July 2000 and was promoted to Sergeant in Feburary 2007, has assumed the role of Lieutenant, and Officer Josiah Curry, who joined the department in September of 2009, was promoted to Sergeant.

"Both of these officers, in addition to scoring the highest on their exam, are outstanding officers," said Chief Richard Smith of the Wakefield Police Department. "They have embraced this job with passion, they are well-respected among their peers and looking back at their work history, what they’ve done in their respective assignments and ranks has shown they’ve embraced the projects given to them."

Lieutenant Steven Skory
Sergeant Steven Skory has a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from Western New England College. He has served as the police department's traffic liason for the last three years and as the special operations coodinator for the last four years.

As a lieutenant, Lt. Skory will be responsible for the special operations side of the department, including being in charge of motorcycles and other equipment, and all weaponry.

"It's a huge responsibility, but he's worked very hard on a lot of assignments and is ready for the vast scope of responsibility on the special operations side," said Chief Smith.

Sergeant Josiah Curry
Sgt. Curry grew up in Boston, and lived in Wakefield for a few years after college. When the job opened up in 2009 for a police officer in Wakefield, he said he jumped at the chance.

"It was something I always wanted to do since I was young, and I wanted to take a break from trial work," Sgt. Curry said, who had previously earned a law degree from Suffolk and practiced law for a few years. "The reputation of the department was really high from a professional networking standpoint, so it seemed like a good community to live and work in."

In addition to being an attorney, Sgt. Curry also serves as an Army Captain in the U.S. Reserve.

"He brings with him a natural leadership capability," said Chief Smith. "He's always grasped his job with enthusaism and he's respectful, smart, and follows cases through," he said.

As a sergeant, Curry will now spend half his time as a patrol supervisor and the other half managing general operations at headquarters. 

Curry said what he likes most about working in Wakefield is the support the community offers its law enforcement officers.

"It's just constantly positive feedback that I get from people and appreciation for the work we do," he said. "It makes it that much better to come into work when you've got the support from the entire community."

Openings a Result of Retirement
The new promotions follow the retirement of Deputy Chief Jack MacKay, who retired from the Wakefield Police Department in late September 2011. Chief Smith said the promotions will help stabilize the department in the wake of MacKay's retirement.

"That was a huge loss for us," said Chief Smith. "There's so much that the Deputy did every day, and we're trying to fill that void with what we have. We'll do it, but he's certainly missed."