Saugus Selectmen Salute Retiring Police Lieutenant

Lt. Arthur Connors praised as “dedicated,” “helpful,” “phenomenal” and “amazing” liaison to the board

By Mark E. Vogler

As the Saugus Police Department’s longtime liaison to the Board of Selectmen, Police Lt. Arthur D. Connors, Jr., spent countless hours over the years collaborating with town officials to address citizen public safety concerns. Over the last decade, nobody in the Saugus Police Department made as many visits to the second floor auditorium to brief selectmen or answer their questions on various issues – many of them having to do with traffic; all of them having to do with making Saugus safer for its citizens.

Lt. Connors, who has also served for about a decade as a Town Meeting Member representing Precinct 3, attended his final meeting as the Police Department’s liaison on Tuesday night (July 14) – just days before he retired from the police force after 23 years on the job. Instead of briefing selectmen or answering their questions, he stood at the speaker’s lectern, facing them as they said their farewells and thanked him for his service. They also presented Lt. Connors with a framed citation, commending him for his service.

“It’s given to somebody that everybody on the board can call their friend.

“I am honored this evening to present Lt. Art Connors with the citation, to recognize all his hard work, helpfulness and dedication to the Town of Saugus,” Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta said.

“Lt. Connors has been a selectmen liaison for many, many years. And we appreciate everything he has done, not just to help this board, but to help all of our residents,” she said.

The citation read as follows: “To all persons whom these presents shall come. Be it known that on this day, July 14, 2026, the Town of Saugus recognizes Lieutenant Arthur Connors for his 23 years of exceptional dedicated service to the Town of Saugus in law enforcement during which time he demonstrated unwavering commitment to protecting and serving the community. Congratulations Lieutenant Connors on a well-earned retirement and continued health, happiness and success in the years ahead.”

All five selectmen signed the citation. Here’s what each selectman and the town manager had to say to Lt. Connors:

Selectman Michael Serino: “Lt. Connors, I want to thank you for your service to our community, not only the help that you provided this board all these years. You’re part of our little family here, and we’re certainly going to miss you and want to wish you all of the best, you and your family. Thank you.”

Selectman Frank Federico: “Lt. Connors, I just want to congratulate you on your years of service to the community of Saugus. My time on the board with you has been short so far. But prior to that, we were on the Town Meeting together. You’ve always been more than generous as far as answering questions and explaining many issues that may have come up. I know you had a countdown on your phone and you were looking forward to this. So, I wish you nothing but the best in retirement and hope you can enjoy it to the fullest. And it’s very well deserved.”

Selectman Jeff Cicolini: “So Lt. Connors, it has been an absolute pleasure. I’ve served with several officers in your capacity. You have been the utmost professional. You’ve dealt with some difficult situations and some not so pleasant situations. More importantly, I want to thank you for being the person you are and the professional you are and for all you have done – not just in this capacity – but to keep our town safe. I tell everybody we are lucky to have the best of the best in both our police and fire, and I stand by those words. And you are the epitome of a professional, and I’m honored to call you my friend. I wish you the best retirement. Well deserved. And I know you are going to continue to enjoy yourself and have fun. It’s so well-deserved, my friend. Thank you again for everything. You’ve been amazing to work with.”

Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Anthony Cogliano: “If there’s a person in town that no one can say a bad word about, it’s certainly you. I value your friendship and all you have done for the community over the years, and you will surely be missed. Thank you very much, my friend.”

Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta: “And I echo everything that my fellow board members have said. You have just been phenomenal over the years. Every time there’s an issue, you’re right there to help us out, help the residents out. We couldn’t have asked for a better, more helpful and dedicated liaison. You’ve been absolutely wonderful.”

Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree: “Lt. Connors, I just wanted to congratulate you on retiring and for a long and great career. And I wish you nice peace and relaxation. On behalf of the town and myself, thank you very much for all of your service to this community.”

After selectmen and the town manager had completed their remarks, Panetta asked if Lt. Connors would like to say a few words. “Absolutely, not,” Lt. Connors responded, which drew laughter from the board and audience.