Ceremony honors New Bedford Police Department promotions and service

New Bedford Police honored the promotion of Sgt. Justin Kagan to Lieutenant and Officer Michael Cassidy to Sergeant and honored Officer Jeremy DeMello with the chief’s award for his outstanding accomplishments within and outside the department during a ceremony Friday at Keith Middle School.

Sgt. Kagan is a 13-year veteran of the force. He began his career with the New Bedford Police Department in 2005 and was promoted to Sergeant in 2012.

He has received a number of honors, including a Red Cross hero award, a Massachusetts Police Association medal of valor and a commendation from the U.S. Department of Justice for outstanding service as a witness in a criminal case.

He has done an incredible amount of good work for the city and the people he serves, Chief Joseph Cordeiro said.

Officer Cassidy is a 24-year veteran of the force.

His honors included being named Officer of the Year by the Exchange Club and receiving two life-saving awards.

Officer Cassidy has served the city and its residents with dedication and honor, Chief Cordeiro said.

Officer DeMello is a 12-year veteran of the force.

He was honored for bringing Presents with Police to the New Bedford Police Department in 2016. Through this program, underprivileged children are paired off with police officers to shop for themselves and their family members to ensure they have Christmas presents. He is also a school resource officer at Roosevelt Middle School.

Through his work with Presents with Police and at Roosevelt, Officer DeMello changed the lives of children for the better, Chief Cordeiro said.

Chief Cordeiro said all three men serve their department and their community with distinction.

He urged them to continue to build bonds within the department and in the community and encouraged them to embrace the community policing philosophy.

“You want to be able to leave here someday and say, I’ve done my best to serve people,” Chief Cordeiro said.

City Council president Linda Morad, speaking on behalf of the City Council, thanked the honorees for their service. “We appreciate what you do for our city every day,” she said. “We look forward to your wonderful, outstanding service to the City of New Bedford.”