DARTMOUTH – What do the 2004 Boston Red Sox, 2016 New England Patriots and the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office all have in common?

They all performed best with their backs against the wall.

That was the message Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson implored on the graduates of the 49th Corrections Officer Academy during a ceremony Wednesday evening, comparing the performance of Bristol corrections officers during the pandemic to those memorable championships by our local sports teams.

“Covid really turned our industry upside-down,” Sheriff Hodgson said. “Our officers met every challenge head-on. These corrections professionals adapted to new rules and regulations and rose to the occasion.

“The strength of our organization has always been how we adapt, deal with, and overcome, adversity,” he continued. “And this amazing team is getting better with the addition of these graduates to our award-winning corrections family.”

The new corrections officers spent the last eight weeks working on everything from policy and procedure to first aid, self-defense and officer wellness. But the most important lessons for this group are communication and teamwork.

That was on display during the graduation ceremony when the class retired a guidon, which is a special marker used throughout history in the military and law enforcement to signify unit designation. The guidon is awarded by the training staff based on the class’ teamwork and togetherness; not every class receives the honor of carrying a guidon to graduation like this class did.

“Over the last eight weeks, we’ve learned many skills that will stay with us forever,” said class Valedictorian Vicente Perez, who finished with a 94.76 grade average. “Our brotherhood has grown exponentially since that first day.”

The new Bristol County Corrections Officers are Anthony Andrade, Elson Fernandes, Brandon Golda, Megan Julien, Ruben Lassalle, Brooks Mendard, Dylan Vultao and Perez.

Lt. Robert Matos and the training staff of Sgt. Amanda Custodio and Corrections Officers Curtis Mateus and Stephen Aranda led the training academy.

“Remember as you go through your career to find goals and strive to meet them,” Lt. Matos said. “It has been a long eight weeks and you should be proud of all you’ve accomplished.”

There are some spots open in the next Corrections Officer Academy, which is planned for the summer. Anyone interested in starting their law enforcement career with the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office can find more information, and a downloadable application, at www.bcso-ma.us. Anyone with questions can contact Caitlin DeMelo in human resources at 508-995-6400 ext. 2344 or via email at CaitlinDemelo@bcso-ma.org.