ITHACA, N.Y. — The Ithaca Police Department swore in a new officer Monday morning — the sixth new officer this year.
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Thomas Condzella, 28, is started his first day after he celebrates his swearing in with his family over breakfast.
Police Chief John Barber said, “I have personally been recruiting Tom for well over a year, probably closer to two years.”
He said he’d heard through other police agencies that Condzella works well with the community, which Barber said is an important attribute he’s looking for in officers.
Condzella got his first taste of police work while he was attending Cornell University, where he worked as a student intern and employee for Cornell University Police. He was hired as an officer with them a year after he graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science in 2008.
He also started working part-time at the village of Groton Police Department in 2010, until he was hired at the town of Riverhead Police Department in Long Island.
He said he and his wife Jodi, who also worked at Cornell University Police where they met, wanted to come back to Ithaca because they identify with being part of the city.
“I wanted to do something service oriented,” he said, adding that he is most excited about the opportunity to help the IPD continue improving their relationship with the community.
Condzella still has to complete about 400 hours of training with the Ithaca Police Field Training Program, which involves time on patrol and in-house training.
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