COURTESY PHOTO
Padraig Calnan, center, with Medford Police Chief Leo Sacco, left, and his father, Massachusetts State Police Lt. (Ret.) Kevin J. Calnan, Esq., at a graduation ceremony held at Local 103 IBEW Hall in Dorchester.
By MATT DEMIRS
MEDFORD — Padraig Calnan is the latest member of the family to join law enforcement, making his dad proud.
The former Lynn resident, who served on the Boston University Medical Center police force, was sworn into the Medford Police Department on Wednesday.
Calnan was joined by family, friends, and his father, Kevin J. Calnan, an attorney who was a Massachusetts State Police trooper for 26 years.
“He is the best guy on the planet,” said his father. “He is smart, studious, physically in shape, and a voracious reader. Part of his personality is that he is a caring person and always wants to fix things between people.”
Calnan said his son’s personality dovetails well with the requirements for being a good cop.
The 32-year-old Padraig graduated earlier this month from the Boston Police Academy. Graduates say the school offers one of the most rigorous, professional, and comprehensive training programs in the country.
But the younger Calnan didn’t always want to be an officer.
It wasn’t until he was more than halfway through his bachelor’s degree program from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst when he switched majors.
“He came one day and sat me down and said, ‘Dad, I really don’t want you to get mad at me but I want to tell you I’m changing my major.’”
Calnan changed tracks, switching his studies from biology to psychology as a way to understand people better. He graduated cum laude.
“I decided I want to become a police officer after working in residential homes and with kids,” said Calnan, who has lived in Medford for four years.
He said his psychology degree prepared him to understand people and their problems.
His great uncle, Edward T. Calnan, a former Lynn Community Development director, said the new position is well-deserved.
“Padraig is a fine young man who has a lot going for him,” he said. “Medford will be a winner with him on the force.”
Matt Demirs can be reached at mdemirs@itemlive.com.