LAWRENCE — Six new police cruisers were officially rolled out on display Wednesday which coincided with seven promotions and the approval of a major Lawrence Police Department contract.
A 19-year LPD veteran, Officer Eli Soto was promoted to sergeant officially becoming the first Latina of rank in the LPD. And fluent in six languages, Salman Dar was also promoted to sergeant. Of Pakistani descent, Dar became the first Asian superior officer, officials said.
With blue lights flashing, the new cruisers were lined up outside LPD headquarters. Uniformed officers lined the stairs, serving as the background for a short ceremony involving Mayor Brian DePena, State Rep. Estela Reyes, D-Lawrence, and William Castro, the department’s provisional police chief.
Four of the cruisers are marked and the two remaining are low-profile and cost roughly $240,000 which was previously allocated in the fiscal 2023 budget, officials said.
Both DePena and Castro said supplying LPD “with the latest and most advanced equipment and technology” can only help them serve city residents.
Police respond to roughly 65,000 calls for service annually. Marked patrol units in neighbors are also “a proven crime deterrent,” Castro said.
Marked cruisers also play a key role in the department’s community policing outreach. These vehicles often visit schools, parks, parades, and other community events where children have an opportunity to learn about the vehicle’s equipment and pose for photographs sitting in the vehicle, officials said.
Tuesday night, city councilors unanimously approved a new contract with police patrol officers that provides them with three years of raises and restores educational incentives the officers previously lost.
The new contract calls for 3% increases annually from 2022 to 2025. There are 123 members in the union.
Also promoted Wednesday were:
– Detective Willian Colantuoni, 28-year LPD veteran.
– Detective Timothy Yerian, 23-year LPD veteran.
– Detective Angel Lopez, 19-year LPD veteran.
– Detective Christopher Cote, 23-year LPD veteran.
– Officer Mark Panagiotakos, 25-year veteran.
Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter/X @EagleTribJill.