Ithaca, N.Y. — The Ithaca Police Department announced Wednesday that it has hired two new police officers.
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Officers Michael Meskill and Joseph Jiminez are expected to be on the beat in 10 to 12 weeks, according to Chief John Barber. Both have lived in the community for years and now live in Dryden.
“I’ve been impressed with both of these officers,” Barber said.
“They come with a very positive attitude and some experience under their belt: They’re going to be a nice fit for the department and the community.”
Officer Meskill
Officer Meskill graduated Keuka College in 2010 with a Bachelors Degree in Accounting and from the Corning Police Academy in 2012.
He currently works for the Cornell Police Department and the Watkins Glen Police Department.
“We will miss him at Cornell Police, but the fact that he is remaining local ensures that we will continue to see him on campus in his new uniform,” Cornell Police Chief Kathy Zoner said.
“(Meskill’s) training, experience and skills in community and cultural relations will be an asset to IPD and guarantee that our agencies will continue to collaborate together.”
A great story in The Ithacan chronicled how Meskill worked as both a goaltender coach at Ithaca College and on the overnight shift with Cornell police:
“When I’m at practice, these guys are here because they want to be here and they want to work hard,” Meskill said. “When I run into most of the people that I deal with on a day-to-day basis, it’s usually because they did something wrong.”
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“Everyone makes mistakes, and we’ve all been to college, and I understand that,” Meskill said. “I come into a good position there since I can relate to these kids because I basically just got out of college, and I can help them through a difficult time, make them accountable for their actions and move on.”
In 2012, Meskill was recognized at the graduation of the Southern Tier Law Enforcement Academy’s 28th session of the New York State Basic Course for Police Officers, according to a statement from Cornell University.
“Meskill was recognized with the highest rating of physical fitness in the class, hitting the 97th percentile,” the statement said.
Officer Jiminez
The Ithaca Police Department said Officer Jiminez graduated from Tompkins Cortland Community College in 2013 with an associate’s degree in criminal justice.
Jiminez currently works for the Trumansburg Police Department, according to IPD.
Chief Barber said the prior law enforcement experience of both Meskill and Jiminez would speed up the training process.
“The good thing about these officers is that they were both hired off of our civil service list,” Barber said.
They will start Feb. 9.