(9/4) One of Vince Testa’s
unforgettable memories is one a Pennsylvania
driver would probably rather forget. The
driver was speeding, crossing into the
shoulder of the road and failed to come to a
complete stop at a stop sign in Thurmont. So
Testa turned on the emergency lights of his
police cruiser and pulled the man over.
It turned out the man was driving on a
suspended license and Testa had his first
arrest as a police officer.
“That’s something I’ll never forget,” Testa
said.
Testa is Thurmont’s newest police officer
and a “homegrown” one, as Thurmont Mayor
Martin Burns noted when he swore Testa in at
the Aug. 18 town meeting.
The 22-year old is 2003 Catoctin High
School graduate and a 2007 graduate from Mount
St. Mary’s University with a degree in
criminal justice.
“Law enforcement is something I’ve always
wanted to do,” Testa said. “I have such a
passion for the job I couldn’t see myself
doing anything else.”
So after graduation, he applied with the
Thurmont Police and was hired. Following a
seven-month training with the Frederick County
Law Enforcement Academy, Testa took to the
streets of Thurmont in May.
“I grew up here. I know the area. I can use
that as an advantage,” Testa said.
When asked whether potentially having to
arrest a friend would be difficult, Testa said
he has run into a lot of friends so far.
“But I made myself a promise I wouldn’t let
that get in the way,” Testa said.
Testa enjoys working in his hometown. He
still lives at home with his parents, Tony and
Tina, who own Rocky’s Pizza in the Orchard
Hills Shopping Center.
“As a police officer, what I’ve heard about
and seen hasn’t affected my perspective of the
town,” Testa said. “It’s part of the job and
you’ll find it everywhere. This is home and
it’s a good place to work.”
