The Federal Way Police Department has had a rough go lately.
But it had a moment to smile at Tuesday’s City Council meeting when Mayor Jim Ferrell and Police Chief Andy Hwang swore in two new officers to the department – Officer Alessandro Mariani and Officer Austin Rogers. In addition, Officer Thaddeus Hodge was assigned to the position of corporal.
“It is my pleasure to recognize a member of the police department, Officer Thaddeus Hodge, who has been assigned to the position of Corporal,” Hwang said. “Corporals act as the squad supervisor in the absence of a lieutenant, serve as trainers and role models for officers and participate in the department’s field training program for new recruits. All of the corporals are assigned to uniform assignments in field operations.”
Hodge is a founding member of the Federal Way Police Department. He began service in March 1997. He has served as both an officer and detective in a variety of assignments, including patrol, criminal investigations, the Commons Mall, traffic unit, and currently, as a member of the special operations unit.
He has supervisory experience in the Officer In Charge (OIC) program. Hodge spent more than a decade as a police explorer adviser, mentoring youths. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and has nine years of military service in the United States Army, serving overseas as a special agent with NATO.
Mariani comes to Federal Way from New York. He began his law enforcement career in 2015 at the New York City Police Department. Prior to N.Y.P.D., Mariani was a loss prevention supervisor with Bloomingdale’s and transportation security officer with the Department of Homeland Security. Mariani has an associates degree in criminal justice from Kaplan University, and a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science degree in criminal justice from Walden University.
Rogers comes to the Federal Way Police Department from Hawaii. He began working as a police officer with the Honolulu Police Department in January 2013. He spent just over three years working patrol in downtown Honolulu. Rogers was born and raised in Puyallup before relocating to Hawaii. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Hawaii.
