Five New Officers Join Westport Police Department

Five new police officers began working for the Westport Police Department this week.

Three are Iraq veterans, one is a former equity trader and one is a former freelance audio engineer.

Westport Patch caught up with them while they were filling out new hire paperwork at Town Hall Wednesday.

Paul Wargo, 26, is a third-generation police officer and Bridgeport resident. He served the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve for six years and was deployed to Iraq during that time. Wargo said pursuing a law enforcement career was a natural transition from his military service. He hopes to specialize in weapons instruction.

Jimmy Loomer, 23, has worked as a freelance audio engineer but said the work was never guaranteed and he wanted to pursue a profession that didn't require him to be away from his family for months at a time. Loomer is also pursuing a business management degree at Western Connecticut State University. He hopes to join the department's Marine Division.

Scott Morrison, 39, grew up in Fairfield and currently resides there. Before joining the police department he worked as an equity trader on Wall Street. When the bank he worked for lost a lot of money in the market crash, Morrison said he decided to make a career switch after talking with his friends who work for other police departments or the Secret Service. "I'm too old for Secret Service," he said. "But I'll be running circles around you juniors," he said to his fellow recruits.

John Lachioma, 24, is an Easton resident and a member of the U.S. Army Reserves. He has served in Iraq. Becoming a police officer, "is what I've always wanted to do," he said.

Mike Ruttenber, 28, has served the U.S. Marine Corps in both Iraq and Afghanistan and is ready to return there when needed. He agrees entering law enforcement was a natural transition from his military experience. He's currently residing in Somers, N.Y., and is looking to relocate closer to Westport.

The new officers will spend the next few weeks learning the operations of the department and then head to the Police Academy in Meridan Feb. 19 for six months of training.