Westport Officers Graduate From State Police Academy

Five Westport police officers completed their police academy training with the 328th Basic Training Session of the Connecticut Police Academy this week.

Officers John J. Lachioma, James M. Loomer, Scott C. Morrison, Michael J. Ruttenber, and Paul M. Wargo were given their diplomas at graduation exercises held in Meriden on Wednesday. Attending the ceremony were Westport Police Chief Alfred Fiore, Deputy Chief Dale Call and Captains Samuel Arciola and Foti Koskinas.

The graduation ceremony capped an intensive 22-week training session for the five officers. Officer Loomer received a firearms award for completing his weapons qualification with a perfect score, and Officer Ruttenber was a class sergeant.

Four of the officers will begin a 400-hour field training program on Friday. Officer Ruttenber, who also serves as a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, will begin his field training period in August after he attends his annual training.

Their graduation comes after a selection process that began with a written exam in October 2009, a process that requires nearly one year to complete from testing to certification as a police officer following their field training. It is anticipated that the five officers will be ready to patrol on their own sometime in October of this year.

In February, Westport Patch published an article about the new recruits. Here's what we learned about them then:

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.

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.

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.

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.