The ‘Officer of the Month’ award recognizes the efforts of an individual with the rank of patrol officer from Division or a Special Unit, who has demonstrated exceptional dedication in the performance of his/her duties during the previous month. I am very pleased to announce that our selection for this month’s LPD ‘Officer of the Month’ is Officer Robert Liberge, who is assigned to the First Division. This nomination was submitted by Lieutenant Glenn Dunnigan, who spoke on his behalf; with additional positive comments submitted by many of the COs/OICs that were in attendance.
In his written nomination, Lieutenant Dunnigan relayed that “Officer Liberge came on the job in 2022, and has quickly become a valuable member of the department.” He further noted that “in the year and a half that he’s been on the street, Officer Liberge has already proven himself as a ‘veteran’ on the First Division, stating that “he is regularly paired with the newer officers because of his calm demeanor and patience; and is often seen taking his time to help them out with reports and guide them through the multiple tasks that are required on patrol.”
Lieutenant Dunnigan also stated that “Officer Liberge is always there for his fellow officers and never hesitates to back them up; he is always accountable; and he never refuses an assignment given to him by his supervisors.” He further noted that Officer Liberge “is a quiet, selfless, intelligent, and reliable officer that the First Division Command Staff can count on when things get dicey on a call.”
Lieutenant Dunnigan then discussed the recent “Battle of the Badges”, that was held on March 30th at Connery Rink, noting that Officer Liberge was the ‘brainchild” of this event, which according to the Lynn Item news coverage, “showcased community spirit and camaraderie among our local First Responders and was one of the biggest crowds they’ve ever hosted for a hockey game.” He also reported that the “First Annual Battle of the Badges” between Lynn Police and Lynn Fire raised in excess of $15,000 dollars for the Special Olympics and for Probation Officer Jeff January, who suffered severe burns in a house fire.
Lieutenant Dunnigan noted that “everyone who played in the game, those who attended the game, and those who stopped by the HIBS afterward, saw what coming together as a community really means.”
According to Lieutenant Dunnigan, “Officer Liberge worked tirelessly for over a year on this fantastic event and the response from the community was amazing, which included little kids camped outside the LPD locker room to get ‘high fives’ from their heroes, Police Officers!” In addition, others stopped to take photos with the officers who played on the ice and with those officers who stopped by in uniform.” Lieutenant Dunnigan further relayed that there were people from the community tailgating in the parking lot before the game, which was “truly an amazing event that has reinvigorated this department AND the community.”
Lieutenant Dunnigan also reported that the younger LPD officers are now motivated to carry this idea onto the softball diamond, basketball court, football fields, and golf course, stating that “this is a great way to showcase our department and encourage the youth in this city to become police officers.”
Congratulations and thank you to Officer Liberge for a job well done.