New Schenectady cops include war vets

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Cook

Two veterans of Afghanistan, a National Guard member and the son of a longtime city police officer highlight the latest class of new city officers entering the police academy.

Acting Mayor Gary McCarthy swore in all five at a ceremony Monday morning at City Hall. The five are now set to enter the Zone 5 Law Enforcement Training Academy on Wednesday for six months of training.

Two of the recruits, Aaron J. Lang, 29, and John A. Laviano, 22, both of Schenectady, served in the Army in Afghanistan.

Another, Aaron J. Zampella, 22, of Schenectady, is the son of 31-year city police veteran Arthur Zampella, who retired in 2009.

Also sworn in were Corey B. Shields, 27, who serves in the New York Air National Guard, and Peter S. Verret, 22, both of Schenectady.

Movie star Bradley Cooper quietly attended the ceremony. The star of “The Hangover” movies, who will be filming the independent film “The Place Beyond the Pines” in Schenectady, spent the last two days in the city conducting research, according to McCarthy.

Cooper, who plays a rookie police officer, did a ride-along with police to get a feel for the job.

“He told me he was very impressed with the police officers and enjoyed it,” McCarthy said.

Cooper’s presence was not acknowledged because McCarthy said he and film’s producer, Derek Cianfrance, just wanted to be casual observers.

Before swearing in the class, McCarthy noted the department’s “complicated history.” He also told the recruits that there will be days they will be frustrated and challenged.

“I expect you to rise above those challenges and rise above those frustrations,” McCarthy told them, “and always provide the best services to our citizens in our community.”

Shortly after the ceremony was over, Afghanistan veteran Lang was greeted by his wife, Nicole, and 5-year-old son, Taylor.

Lang said being a police officer is something he’s always wanted to do. “It’s something I’ve strived for,” Lang said. “I wanted to serve the community.”

His wife called it a great thing. She knew he could do it. “He’s strong enough to do it,” she said.

Lang, a 2000 graduate of Christian Brothers Academy and 2004 graduate of Siena College, served in Afghanistan as a chemical officer in a calvary squadron, coordinating air support.

He said he expects his service in the Army to help him serving Schenectady.

“It taught me a lot about how to deal with people and deal with situations and problems that come up,” Lang said.

Fellow Afghanistan veteran Laviano served there for a year from 2009 to 2010, seeing combat as part of the 10th Mountain Division.

Among the crowd of approving parents taking pictures during the ceremony was Arthur Zampella, a retired detective sergeant with Schenectady.

The elder Zampella said his son has wanted to be a police officer for a long time.

“It’s a good job,” the dad said. “You do the right thing, you treat people right, it’s fine.”

Asked about what the dad thought when he heard his son wanted to follow him in law enforcement, Zampella said there was little he could say.

“How could I argue with him? I did it for 31 years,” the dad said.

The son said he decided he wanted to be a police officer from watching his father.

“Growing up as the son of a police officer, seeing everything he has done in his career, serving the community, it’s always been something I wanted to strive for and wanted to do,” the young Zampella said.

Police Chief Mark Chaires thanked the families of the officers for raising them and getting them to where they are.

All five candidates came out of an exhaustive vetting process, Chaires said, with most candidates not making the cut.

“We want to make sure that when we send officers to a doorstep, we’re not sending anybody to your doorstep that we wouldn’t be fully comfortable sending to the doorstep of my mother or one of my loved ones,” Chaires said.