HANSON – The Select Board welcomed some new faces to the town’s public safety departments – as another was promoted – and the board had the opportunity to honor others for their life-saving work, during its Tuesday, Feb. 11 meeting.
Joining the Hanson Police Department were: Cameron Carpenter, Thomas Malloy and Kyle Crombie. All three were introduced to the board by Deputy Police Chief Michael Casey before being sworn in by Town Clerk Elizabeth Sloan and having their new badges pinned on by family members.
“Some are just getting here, some might have been here a few minutes longer, but I think it’s important, as they get sworn in … this is an opportunity for the families to see some of the new faces and demonstrate the culture that we have, the great officers that we bring on for the town and what these men and women do every day for us,” Casey said.
Carpenter, a lifelong resident of Hanson, holds a master’s degree from Merrimack University, where he was also able to get his academy certification through its MBC program. He had gone through all the application processes in 2023, when “I failed to get him here,” Casey said. “So, I apologize.”
Carpenter is a young officer who loves the community.
“He wanted to be here,” Casey said. “He had other opportunities, and we couldn’t be happier to have him,” Casey said.
“We tend to attract qualified individuals,” he said. “They want to come here, they want to serve here.”
Moore is also a local resident, having grown up in Whitman, Casey said.
“We were able to obtain Tommy through a lateral transfer from Plymouth P.D.,” where he served for a year and a half, the deputy chief noted.
A 13-year Marine veteran, Moore “married a local girl, and expressed some interest [in Hanson P.D.], he went through an interview process and were able to hire [him] in late December 2024.
Crombie has a degree in criminal justice and had been a full-time officer in Truro.
Carpenter’s mother Jennifer pinned on his new badge. Moore’s wife, Whitney and his daughter Avery pinned on his badge, and Crombie’s sister in-law, did the honors for him.
“Well. We’re excited,” said Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett. “What else have you got for us?”
“There’s definitely a transition,” he said. “As our older officers are leaving, we’re able to obtain these guys and girls to build the force back up.”
Casey said that, as the new officers are coming in, some veteran officers are getting ready for retirement including officer Michelle Hughes, who will be retiring after 32 years and Chief Michael Miksch who will retire after 34 years in law enforcement – both at the end of June.
The next order of business was the promotion of new Sgt. Brian Shaughnessy, who transferred to Hanson from the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department a couple of years ago.
“He looks young, but he’s way beyond his years,” Casey said. “He has just fit in. He’s willing to learn. He keeps his mouth shut and he just does an outstanding job.”
A Bridgewater native, he is recently married and the father of a new baby. Last year, through vacancies, including retirements, the department was able to hold a sergeant’s exam
“Brian just blew it out of the water,” Casey said. “He did an excellent job –as they all did. Brain is clearly a leader and his future in the Hanson Police is extremely bright and he’s goiing to have a successful career.”
After his swearing in, his wife Marissa with the “help” of son Beau pinned on his new badge,
“So that is it, with the swearing-ins and the promotional announcement,” Casey said.
“But that is not it for our recognitions,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “Nope. We’re all about first responders, tonight – and every day, but particularly tonight.”
The board then honored members of the Police and Fire departments for their recent life-saving emergency responses, as FitzGerald-Kemmett called on officers Mark Vigneau, William Frazier and Robert Manfield as well as Deputy Fire Chief Charles Barrends for their actions.
“We don’t even know a tenth of the calls that you’re on [every day] and you’re always taking heroic measures, so it seems weird to recognize that work for the one particular incident, but it was way above and beyond,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said.
On Dec. 30, 2024, the four men “came to the aid of another human being with dedication and brilliance and rendered life-saving CPR to a victim in medical crisis,” she said. “We just wanted to let you know that your heroic actions will always be remembered.”
Board awarded the three officers and Barend’s commendations and letters of commendation for their files.
“But, mostly, we want to tell you … that we have a heart-felt thanks for everything that you did on that day,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said
Casey echoed her sentiments.
“This is something that we do do every day,” he said. “We have a fantastic relationship with our Fire Department, our police department, mutual aid, Whitman – all the towns that surround us. We’re always working together.”
That means, there have been “many occasions where we’ve all done CPR, Casey continued, noting that the number of times that officers have to help with medical emergencies because of the Fire Department’s call volume means the town has to lean more heavily on mutual aid – between Hanson departments and from other towns.
“This is one of those perfect storms where this does happen a lot,” Casey said, describing the situation on Dec. 30, which happened directly across the street from the police station on Main Street, where 911 call indicated a man had been found unresponsive and not breathing.
Vigneau and Frazier were the first officers on scene. Casey and Barends also responded to the incident.
“At that moment, there was no red truck showing up,” Casey said. “It just shows you, on a day-to-day basis, what these men are able to do.” Officer Mansfield rotated with the other two police officers on CPR.
“This man would not be alive, if it weren’t for these four gentlemen,” he said. Vigneau and Frazier both have more than 25 years on the department, who transferred from Oak Bluffs is also a department veteran.
“Again, that collaboration between towns, between departments, we’re so lucky because we’re all walking a high wire and you guys are our safety net,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said presenting individual commendations to the officers and firefighters.
Highway Superintendent Kevin Dykes was also honored for his actions during a brush fire on Nov. 9, 2024. When he heard the fire announced, he took the initiative of going directly to the highway department, loaded the skid unit (a self-contained tank and pump and forestry hoses that drop onto a truck for transport) onto a highway vehicle and sent photos to the fire chief and advising him that the unit was in service, if needed.
Fire Chief Robert O’Brien Jr., was also recognized for some off-duty heroics.
Weymouth Police Chief Richard Fuller had written to the Select Board of the recommendation from Weymouth Fire Capt. Brian Morse regarding a commendation report regarding O’Brien for his life-saving actions on that town’s Four River Channel on Aug. 16, 2024.
O’Brien and his brother, Weymouth officer Edward O’Brien were boating in the area when another boat crash near Grape Island. The O’Briens responded, along with Weymouth officer Christopher D’Angelo, aiding two severely injured victims.
“Is he ever really off-duty?” FitzGerald-Kemmett said of Chief O’Brien. “I think not.”
The three men extracted the victims, providing first aid and transport back to Turn Harbor Marina, where ambulances were waiting.
Edward O’Brien applied a tourniquet to the male victim, who was losing a lot of blood, while fire Chief O’Brien applied pressure to a massive laceration sustained by the female victim.
Morse wrote to Fuller that the three men, “Embody the spirit of heroism that is the hallmark of the public safety community.”
“Your actions reflect great credit upon yourself, the Weymouth Police Department and the Hanson Fire Department,” Fuller wrote.