Police badge incorporates town landmarks
By Caitlyn Kelleher Journal Staff Reporter

Two police officers have worked with a local artist to create something unique for the department's new badge.

The badge, designed by officers Kevin Ahearn and Robert Siano, appears as part of the uniform.

"We wanted something unique to Ashburnham," Ahearn said.

Ashburnham resident and artist Besty Howland drew the design for the mold after being approached by Ahearn and Siano.

"She's a phenomenal artist," Siano said. "Kevin and I came up with Betsy when we thought of creating the badge."

The officers decided that they wanted to have the town seal at the center of the patch. The picture is a drawing of the Meeting House Hill with the town's Schoolboy Statue and the Cushing Academy's School Girl Statue on either side of the hill.

The Schoolboy Statue was important to incorporate because it is a landmark in town, Siano said. The statue was designed and given to the town in 1913. The Schoolgirl Statute was designed in 2005 by eight Cushing students.

"It's nice to recognize Cushing," Siano said. "It's been here forever and it will be here forever."

The officers used to wear the generic badge used by most departments throughout the state. The badges have the seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts - like their collar pins - in the center.

"No one else has badges like these," Ahearn said of the new ones.

The town owns the mold and will be able to regulate when it is used.

The patrolman's badges are silver and the badges for the chief and sergeants are gold.

It took the officers a couple of months to design the picture that decorates the badge. Siano and Ahearn started the process in September 2005 when they approached Chief Loring Barrett.

They brought a couple of different sketches to the union members and the one that was used, was approved by the members.

"We knew it would be costly (to create)," Siano said.

The police association with help and donations from Cushing Academy, the American Legion and the Lion's Club paid for the cost of the molding and two badges for each of the full-time and reserve officers.

The cost of the mold is $1,200, which was made by Garel Manufacturing in Providence, R.I.

Ahearn said the other benefit to the badges is that it allows an officer to have a connection to the town even after he or she retires.

"When you leave it's like you are taking a piece of Ashburnham with you," Ahearn said.

- + - Caitlyn Kelleher can be reached at (978) 827-3386, ext. 14, or e-mail: editor@thecommunityjournal.com