STCC celebrates police officers in first-ever pinning ceremony
STCC Police Chief Jose "Joe" Rivera administers the oath of office to two officers and a sergeant.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – In a pinning ceremony at Springfield Technical Community College, Police Chief Jose “Joe” Rivera administered the oath of office to two recently hired campus police officers and a longtime officer who was promoted to sergeant.
Friends and family of the officers and sergeant on July 23 joined STCC President John B. Cook and college staff, including fellow campus police officers, on the seventh floor of Scibelli Hall for the badge pinning ceremony, the first of its kind at STCC.
Officer Crystal Rivera receives her badge during a ceremony.
Rivera said he wanted to formally recognize the sergeant and officers’ achievements after a challenging year. Due to the pandemic, the two newest officers were unable to have a formal ceremony when they were hired.
“The pinning ceremony on the STCC campus is a great way to bring friends and family together to recognize officers Crystal Rivera, Christian Santiago and Sgt. Jason Lariviere,” said Chief Rivera. “We wanted to honor them for their achievements. Jason, Crystal and Christian bring with them unique life experiences, skills and traits that we believe will enhance their service to the STCC community.”
Chief Rivera recognized Lariviere, of Granby, who was promoted to the rank of sergeant. Lariviere joined the STCC campus police in 1997 as a security officer. In 2005, he attended the special state police officer academy. He has obtained specialized training during his career. After being promoted to investigator in 2019, he created the first detective unit at STCC.
Sgt. Jason Lariviere received his badge during a ceremony.
Lariviere said the ceremony was meaningful to him and his colleagues in the department.
“Having a badge pinning ceremony means a lot,” Lariviere said. “It allows those who are promoted or newly hired an opportunity to be publicly recognized for their hard work to achieve their position within the department."
During the event, the police chief introduced Crystal Rivera (no relation), a Holyoke resident who started at STCC in November 2019. She received an associate degree in criminal justice and graduated from the Western Massachusetts Police Academy.
“It’s an honor to stand with my colleagues in front of friends and family and formally receive my badge,” said Crystal Rivera.
Born and raised in Holyoke, newly hired officer Christian Santiago wanted to be a police officer from a young age, Chief Rivera said. He received a criminal justice degree and graduated from the Western Massachusetts Regional Police Academy.
Santiago said the pinning ceremony was a special day.
Officer Christian Santiago receives his badge during a ceremony.
“I’m proud to be a STCC patrol officer and honored to receive recognition from Chief Rivera and celebrate with my friends, family and colleagues,” Santiago said.
Chief Rivera congratulated the three for their hard work and perseverance.
“Each candidate was selected as the best person for their position,” the chief said. “Each participated in a comprehensive and rigorous process. They are in my opinion the best of the best.”
Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
About Springfield Technical Community College
STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequalled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu