Billerica PD promotes 6 to supervisory positions, including 1st female lieutenant

BILLERICA — The Billerica Police recently promoted six members to supervisory positions, including the first female lieutenant in the department’s history.

Lt. Commander John Harring will now serve as operations commander, while Lt. Commander Frank Mirasolo will oversee Administration. Lt. Tara Connors — the department’s first female lieutenant — will serve in patrol, as will Lt. Mark Gualtieri, Sgt. Dwayne Eidens, and Sgt. Timothy McKenna.

All six promotions were made to fill vacancies left by the retirements of Lt. Commander Greg Katz and Lt. Commander Ronald Balboni.

“Lt. Commander Katz and Lt. Commander Balboni will be deeply missed within this department, where they both had a major impact throughout their careers,” Chief Roy Frost said. “I am pleased to see this new group of supervisors being promoted. They have big shoes to fill, but I am confident they will do so with professionalism, compassion, and skill.”

• Harring joined the Billerica Police in 2001, after serving the Broward County, Florida Sheriff’s Department. His father is a retired Billerica Police detective lieutenant. Harring worked as a K-9 handler for Billerica starting in 2009, at which time he was assigned to the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council K-9 Unit. Harring eventually became commander of the NEMLEC K-9 Unit, serving in that position until 2021. He was promoted to sergeant in 2014 and lieutenant in 2020. Prior to his promotion, Harring was in charge of training. He holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Western New England College, located in Springfield.

• Mirasolo began working with the department in January 1995, after serving the Keene, N.H. Police Department. He was promoted to sergeant in 2004 and lieutenant in 2021. He has been a detective for 26 years. Prior to this position, Mirasolo was in charge of the early night patrol shift. He holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Anna Maria College, located in Paxton.

• Conners joined the department in 2003 after serving as a teacher in the Billerica schools. She was promoted to sergeant in 2016. In addition to being the first female to reach the rank of lieutenant in department history, Connors has served as a domestic violence officer, a court prosecutor and a grant administrator. She also served as a supervisor of the school resource officer program. Her father is a retired Billerica Police deputy chief. Connors holds a law degree from the New England School of Law, located in Boston, and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association.

• Gualtieri started with the Billerica Police in 1995, after transferring from the Billerica Fire Department. Gualtieri was promoted to sergeant in 2002. In 2004, he was placed on the NEMLEC Tactical Police Force and later in 2010 trained and certified as a NEMLEC SWAT officer, where he served until 2023. In that capacity, Gualtieri responded to high-risk situations throughout the region. Prior to his promotion, Gualtieri was serving as a patrol sergeant on the early night shift. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran, and holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Western New England College.

• Eidens joined the department in 2005. He worked in patrol until 2018, when he was assigned to the Traffic Division. In addition to investigating motor vehicle crashes and conducting targeted road safety programs, Eidens was certified as a motorcycle officer and assigned to the NEMLEC Motor Unit. Eidens is a U.S. Army Reserve veteran, and recipient of the Bronze Star for his service overseas. He holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from UMass Lowell.

• McKenna began working for the department in 2003, after transferring from the Bedford Police Department, where he worked as a dispatcher. McKenna has served as a Criminal Justice Information Services administrator since 2009. There he managed all state and federal compliance requirements on behalf of Billerica. In 2017, McKenna was assigned as a detective, working in the criminal bureau. He became a provisional sergeant in 2023, during a period where the department needed to find quality supervisors as civil service worked to develop new testing standards. McKenna served in this provisional capacity for one year. After a short stint back in the criminal bureau, McKenna will return to a permanent supervisory role. His father was a captain of the Arlington Police Department.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X, formerly known as Twitter, @aselahcurtis

Originally Published: July 16, 2024 at 5:24 p.m.