On patrol as part of their Bedford Police Field Training Officer (FTO) program on Friday evening, Officer Marc Lavine conducted a traffic stop on North Road, assisted by Officer Brian Ricci. The operator was arrested for possession with intent to distribute after multiple bags of marijuana and $1,000 in cash were discovered, according to the Bedford Police Twitter feed.
Officers Lavine and Ricci are October 17 graduates of the 22-week Lowell Police Academy and recently began their 3-month FTO program in Bedford.
Police Chief Robert Bongiorno explained that Bedford’s FTO consists of intensive training, including reviews of Bedford’s policies and procedures and riding with an experienced officer to evaluate on-the-job performance. New officers are rated weekly and reviewed by a lieutenant to determine whether or not they are ready to assume full duty status.
“Both officers distinguished themselves in the academy, recognized not only by their peers but by the academy instructors,” Chief Bongiorno continued, “I have no doubt that their knowledge and aptitude will only be strengthened during their careers here at the Bedford Police Department.”
