By George P. Hassett

When Anthony Holloway took over as chief of the Somerville Police Department last month he said the most common complaint he heard from patrol officers was a lack of manpower on the streets. This week city officials took one step toward addressing that problem by bringing seven new officers onto the force.

Christopher Gomes, Oswaldo Martinez, Yvon Jean Jacques, Fernando Cicerone, Henry Diaz, James Radochia and Guerdy Legros will enter the police academy in February and will hit the streets as Somerville police upon successful completion of the twenty week training program.

Holloway and Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone praised the new recruits as a qualified group of young officers.

‚ÄúTheir police academy training starts almost immediately and they should be in uniform and on duty later this year. Four of these officers are bilingual, and each of them brings life experience to the job that will aid Chief Holloway and the rest of the officers during the department’s implementation of the community policing strategy,‚Äù Curtatone said.

Curtatone and Holloway said the city expects to appoint five more new officers before the end of the month. In his inauguration speech last month Curtatone pledged to hire 16 new police officers this year as part of a reorganization of the department that will include a community-based policing strategy.

Holloway said he expects the seven new cops to fit into that strategy.

“These are the types of officers who are excited about community policing, who are excited to really immerse themselves in all aspects of the community they serve. I am looking forward to working with all of them once they graduate from the academy,” he said.