City eliminates upper age limit to become a Malden Police Officer

By Emma Siebold 

Previously, if you were 32 or older, your hopes of becoming a Malden police officer would be a distant dream. Until now. 

There is no longer an upper age limit for one to become a Malden Police Officer, thanks to a petition proposed by a Malden resident and backed by Mayor Gary Christenson and Police Chief Glenn Cronin. 

Bill H.2546, signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey on August 23, removed the upper age limit of 32 years to apply as an entry-level police officer, specifically for the city of Malden. Many surrounding communities, such as Revere, Everett, Medford and Somerville have no upper age limit for entry-level firefighters or police officers. The provision in Malden also previously blocked transfers from other public safety groups; a sheriff or corrections officer could not transition to the Malden Police Department if they passed the age cap. 

Cronin hopes that less restrictions will open the door to a more diverse and experienced candidate pool. 

“Things aren’t black and white, it’s about making decisions in the gray area,” Cronin said. “That’s where that professional experience comes in.” 

While Christenson and Cronin had previously discussed the provision’s limitations, David Senatillaka proposed the petition to the Mayor to remove the age limit. 

Originally from Malden but now based in Everett, Senatillaka is still active in the Malden community. 

“I just thought there was a certain level of unfairness,” Senatillaka said. 

A Marine Corps veteran, Senatillaka felt that the provision disenfranchised veterans who surpassed the age limit while in service. 

“I know people that had done time in the military and were potentially boxed out of a good career due to their age,” Senatallika said. “I also think people like to have career changes later in life—not everyone chooses what they want to do when they’re 18.” 

He also mentioned that the provision was unfair to immigrants who may seek out a career in public safety after settling in the U.S. later in life. 

“Sometimes the best police and firefighters come from different backgrounds,” Senatillaka said. “I’d love to see people that have other non-traditional police backgrounds with real-life experience who can potentially have a pathway to become a police officer if they wanted to.” 

The bill reads that “an individual shall be eligible to have their name certified for original appointment to the position of police officer in the city of Malden regardless of the age of such individual.” The age limit still applies to the fire department.

Those interested in applying to become a police officer will take the state-administered entry-level civil service examination. While the application period for the exam has not yet started, the exam is scheduled for March 2025. 

Mayor Christenson said his motivations were the same as the Chief’s—to deepen the candidate pool and provide more opportunities for citizens to get involved in public safety. 

“Our hope is that it’s going to provide more opportunities for people to become part of our organization and help make Malden a safer community than it already is,” Christenson said. He said the department is nearly at full strength, and that offering a schedule “conducive to officers and families,” keeping up with equipment and having a recently renovated headquarters make the department “appealing” to new applicants. 

The minimum age requirement remains—you must be at least 19 years old to take the civil service exam, and you cannot be officially appointed until you are 21. Other requirements, such as physical and psychological exams, a high school diploma or equivalent, and a 24-week police academy are still in place for potential candidates. 

“Ultimately, I feel that someone who is older, wiser and can bring years of life experience to the table can not only strengthen and enhance the police department but can also bring a level of mental matureness and a larger world view to policing which can only be a benefit to the police profession as a whole,” Senatillaka said.

Emma Siebold is a journalism student at Emerson College. Her work appears as part of a collaborative partnership between the “Community News Reporting” class taught by Mark Micheli at Emerson College and the Neighborhood View editorial staff.