Occupation: I’m a patrol officer for the Monroe Police Department. I’ve been with Monroe since 2005.

Family: My wife is Lisa. Our daughter Nicole is 12 years old. She’ll be entering Newtown Middle School in the fall. Kyle, our son, is 15 and will be a sophomore at Newtown High School.

Pets: We have a dog, Dasher. He’s a cockapoo and is 4 years old. Our one cat is Gracie, and the other cat is Oscar.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We have been in Sandy Hook since 1999. We moved here from Oxford.

What do you like to do in your free time? I like to hang out with our friends and kids. We do a lot of picnics and barbeques in the summer. Our kids kind of keep us busy. There’s always something going on.

Do you have a favorite sports team? I’m a big Yankees and Giants fan. In the fall, every Sunday, I’m watching football.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? We go to Florida a lot. Lisa’s parents live there, on the water, so it’s always nice to visit. Every summer we go to visit friends who have a place in Rhode Island. You get away, yet it’s so close.

What is the best thing about Newtown? I like the rural feel, and that everything is kind of laid back. I love my neighborhood. The people are great. After everything we’ve been through this year, I think everyone is coming together.

What has been the greatest influence in your life? I think, really, it’s how this community dealt with 12/14 that has inspired me. Police are often perceived negatively, and get a bad rap, or people talk poorly about them. I’ve realized that I can choose to see the good in people, and I try to emulate that now.

Do you have a personal philosophy? Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t get caught up with nonsense. There’s so much more worth worrying about.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? I like cake. Red velvet cake is my weakness.