Manning named police sergeant by Selectmen

Date: 2/14/2011

Feb. 14, 2011

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW — East Longmeadow Police Officer Steven Manning was appointed the department's next sergeant by the Board of Selectmen at its Feb. 8 meeting.

By a vote of 2 to 1, Manning was selected over fellow officer Daniel Bruno.

"We are very fortunate in East Longmeadow to have such a tough decision to make," Board of Selectman Chair Paul Frederici said. "Even when we've had to choose new officers, it's still a very difficult process because there are so many well-qualified candidates. Our Police Department is full of good officers who show their worth to the town every day."

Both Manning and Bruno have been members of the Police Department since May 3, 1998, according to Frederici.

The Board of Selectmen and Police Chief Doug Mellis asked the candidates a series of 16 questions, then made a decision based upon the answers and other information they had received. Frederici cast the vote for Bruno, while fellow Selectmen James Driscoll and Jack Villamaino both voted for Manning.

"They were both very well-qualified," Frederici said. "The only thing that I thought gave Bruno an advantage was the fact that he was doing some teaching. I thought that was a benefit."

However, Frederici felt Manning's supplemental training, ultimately, is what convinced the other members of the board that he was the right choice.

"Manning had a little more training in regards to Internet crime and other kinds of crime," Frederici said. "He had taken three or four classes in different types of criminal investigation.

Manning's first official day as sergeant was Feb. 13.