The Wilton Police Department recently welcomed two new police officers, swearing them in last Friday, June 27. They were sworn in by assistant town clerk Kathy Cooper.
Both officers will begin at the completion of their training, which includes five months at the police academy, followed by three months of field training here in Wilton.
Stacy Welch, age 30, is a resident of Norwalk. Raised in Massachusetts, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Connecticut, Storrs in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, and a minor in Criminal Justice. Welch obtained a Master of Education degree in Elementary Education from the University of Bridgeport. She was most recently a teacher, employed by Greenwich Education Group. In addition, she is a certified instructor of Israeli Krav Maga martial arts.
Eric Patenaude, age 31, is a resident of Milford, where he grew up. Patenaude joined the United States Marine Corps in 2005, and served until 2013 after deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, where he achieved the rank of Sergeant. In addition, he trained as Marine Special Forces Multipurpose Canine Handler. Most recently, Patenaude was a full time student at the University of New Haven, studying Criminal Justice.