Mayor Paul Brodeur swore in five new Melrose Police Officers during a ceremony in the City Council Chamber on Friday, November 18.

Officers Allan Troche-Velez, Cole Hinchey, Mary Gill, Michael Koytikh and Shannon Stamegna graduated from the police academy and completed a 10-weel field training program before being welcomed into the Melrose Police Department alongside family and members of the Melrose Police Department, including retiring Police Chief Michael Lyle, during the ceremony.

“I am excited to welcome these five new officers to the force,” Mayor Paul Brodeur said. “Their diverse skills, backgrounds, and training will benefit the department and the community now and in the future. I’m particularly proud to welcome to the department our fifth bilingual officer, as well as an officer with 10 years of social work experience and officers with familiarity of our community and our values.”

The police academy is 24 weeks long and consists of more than 900 hours of a combination of practical and classroom training, certifications and service to the community. Some of the classes include first aid, law, applied patrol procedures, firearms, report writing, active shooter training, specialized driving and self-defense.

Officer Allan Troche-Velez, of Melrose, is a 2016 graduate of San Benito High School in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. He has vast experience working in with the public in customer service roles within different industries. He previously served as a combat engineer in the Army National Guard in 2018. Officer Troche-Velez’s bilingualism will help the Melrose Police Department more readily communicate and better service members of the Melrose community whose primary language is Spanish.

Officer Cole Hinchey, of Melrose, graduated in 2017 from St. Johns Preparatory School where he was inducted into the Spanish National Honors Society. During this time, Office Hinchey was also a member of the Jr. FBI Academy headquartered in Boston, MA. After graduating from St. Johns, he attended Salve Regina University and obtained his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in business in 2021. He has since been accepted into an accelerated master’s degree program in homeland security.

Officer Mary Gill, of Melrose, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Stonehill College in 2020. While completing her degree, Officer Gill worked in the university’s admissions office, and completed internships with the Bristol Conty District Attorney’s Office and the Plymouth Police Department.

Officer Michael Koytikh, of Melrose, received his bachelor’s degree in criminal juice from Norwich University in Vermont, where he was a first cadet lieutenant of the university’s division of Corp of Cadets.

Officer Shannon Stamegna, of Melrose, graduated with a master’s degree in social work from Salem State University in 2018. For the past 10 years, Officer Stamegna has worked in the field of social work advocating for children and families from all different backgrounds. Her focus in these roles included coordinating with mental healthcare providers to ensure families received the care they needed. Coming from a large law enforcement family, Officer Stamegna stated she is looking forward to intersecting her skills in social work and respect for law enforcement with her love of the Melrose community.