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Medford police promote seven Six officers and one detective receive new supervisory designation as master police officer By SARAH LEMON With 94 sworn officers competing for promotions, advancement within the Medford Police Department can be difficult. But six officers and a detective entered a new supervisory position Wednesday. Patrol officers Mark Boone, Mike Budreau, Randy Sparacino and Curtis Whipple were promoted to the department's new master police officer assignment. Traffic officer Phil Eastman, narcotics Detective Karl Haeckler and gang and street drugs officer Brett Johnson also received the promotion. "It's really neat to be on the ground floor of something new," said Sparacino, who has worked for the department for almost 11 years. "We're pretty much responsible for the success or failure of this new program." The new assignment opens the way for officers to advance in the department without leaving the patrol division, said Deputy Chief Randy Schoen, who spearheaded the project. The master officers - referred to as "MPOs" - each were assigned a team of officers and will work closely with that team's sergeant for the next three years. "The sergeant is the coach of the team, and the master police officer will be the assistant coach," Schoen explained. Ideally, the police department has sergeants on duty 24 hours a day, but with only six patrol sergeants, that's not always possible. The master officers will pick up some of that slack, acting as watch commanders in a sergeant's absence. To make sure they were ready for this responsibility, the would-be MPOs completed a testing regimen designed to separate the competent officers from the outstanding ones. The 19 applicants were first presented with four scenarios to determine if they would use appropriate tactics in each of these situations: apprehending a suspect who is shooting a gun, approaching a suspect with a mental health issue, pursuing a suspect in a vehicle and serving a search warrant. The three assessors - a police department member and two others involved in the criminal justice system - tested applicants on department policy. Schoen said all applicants passed the tests, but the department sought out those who scored above 70 percent. Eight officers went on to present an oral resume and talk about their off-duty involvement in the community. "The ones who were selected came out on top," Schoen said. Sparacino skipped the exams because he already took tests required before an officer can be promoted to sergeant. He will serve as a master officer until a sergeant position is available, said Schoen. The master officers' increased responsibility comes with an 8 percent pay raise. The department planned for the new position and doesn't anticipate any budget conflicts, Schoen said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.