EAST PROVIDENCE — At a ceremony held during the Tuesday, Feb. 2, City Council meeting, the five latest members of the East Providence Police Department were formally sworn into duty. Officers Franklin Brito, Andrea Comella, Zachary Bilodeau, PJ Palma and Tyler Elmasian were unveiled to the public during the event. The new officers are already several weeks into a 12-week probationary period. They are receiving on-the-job training and evaluation by existing EPPD members. After taking their oath issued by Council President and Mayor Tommy Rose, the officers were each presented their badges. Officer Comella received hers from her father, retired Cranston PD Colonel Augustine Comella. Dawn Bilodeau pinned the badge of her son, Officer Bilodeau. Officer Brito was given his badge by his sister Bianca. Friend Elizabeth Donahue presented Officer Elmasian with is badge. And in the absence of his wife Martha, Officer Palma was given his badge by EPPD Chief Chris Parella. "Congratulations to the new police officers and to their families congratulations. And welcome to the East Providence Police Department," Chief Parella said in his introductory remarks. "This is a unique opportunity for you and for the families you know how hard it is," he continued. "As a parent, we all want our kids to have a great career. We want them to enter somewhere where they can be a professional and can achieve. I can tell you this, this city provides everything you need to have an incredibly successful career. "We're going to ask a lot of you. We're going to ask everything other departments would ask and we'll probably ask you to do more." Chief Parella added the expectation is for the new officers to "treat the residents of the city with dignity and respect" and to be "strong and steadfast in your duties." "This is an inherently dangerous job, but as long as I am here these officers will get everything they need to be successful and to make sure they're safe," the chief concluded. Lieutenant James Nelson, in charge of the EPPD Planning and Training Unit, gave the audience a brief overview of the new officer's program, which began in 2014. The candidates went through a litany of tests and interviews before they were formally hired by the department and then undertook a 22-week police academy training course. The officers graduated the academy on December 15 of last year. Before concluding the ceremony, Chief Parella noted the addition of the new officers brought the total in the department to 96, seven below the minimum manpower recommendation of 103. "With these five we still have a long way to go, but we welcome their resources to the department," Chief Parella said. — Photos by Tim Marshall