METHUEN — Chief Scott McNamara is proud to report that Methuen Police Sgt. Derek Licata was recognized with the Tom Duggan Sr. Law Enforcement Award presented by the Valley Patriot newspaper for going above and beyond the call of duty.
Tom Duggan Sr. was a Lawrence Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty in 1990. Through the years, Duggan’s son, Valley Patriot Publisher Tom Duggan Jr. has been a supporter of police and created the award in memory of his father. The award is given annually to a local first responder who goes above and beyond to support law enforcement within the community.
Sgt. Licata was presented with the award at a ceremony held on Friday, March 22 at the Valley Patriot Bash at Relief’s In Lawrence.
Sgt. Licata was honored largely for his charitable work, which includes volunteering with Debbie’s Treasure Chest since its inception in 2007. Sgt. Licata serves on the non-profit’s advisory board.
Sgt. Licata has organized the Methuen Police Department’s annual toy drive for 10 years as the drive has collected and distributed more than 20,000 toys to local children in need. He also organized winter coat drives and school supplies drives, providing hundreds of coats and school supplies to local children in need.
Additionally, Sgt. Licata has served as the coordinator for the Methuen Police Department’s participation in the Pink Patch Project and Drop It Challenge, both of which raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. In the past two years alone, Methuen Police have raised over $17,000 for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
“Sergeant Licata’s dedication to both Methuen Police and the entire Methuen community are admirable and worthy of this honor,” said Chief McNamara. “We are proud to call Sgt. Licata a colleague, and very proud of his tireless work to benefit those in need within the community.”
Sgt. Licata credited his coworkers and those in the Methuen community for responding to each of the charitable efforts and for always supporting the community.
“I’m grateful for the support of my coworkers, who have helped to make all of these campaigns such a success,” Sgt. Licata said. “I’m thankful for the generosity of my coworkers, the community, and the businesses that have helped make these initiatives successful.”
Sgt. Licata joined the Methuen Police Department as a Methuen Police Explorer in 1988 and became a full-time patrolman in 1994. He has served as a patrol officer, field training officer, school resource officer and as a member of the Marine Patrol and Mountain Bike Units. He has also served as training coordinator and social media specialist for the department. Sgt. Licata was promoted in January of 2022, and is currently assigned to the patrol division on the day shift.