Miguel Jarillo sworn in at the Edgartown Select Board meeting on Oct. 20. —Nicholas Vukota 
Miguel Jarillo is the newest patrol officer at the Edgartown Police Department. —Nicholas Vukota 
Edgartown Police Chief Chris Dolby speaks to Edgartown Select Board about hiring of a new police officer. —Nicholas Vukota 
Edgartown Police said goodbye to Sgt. Ryan Ruley at the Edgartown Select Board meeting on Monday, Oct. 19. —Nicholas Vukota 
Patrol Officer Miquel Jarillo of the Edgartown Police Department. —Nicholas Vukota
The Edgartown Police Department formally swore in a new patrol officer who speaks Portuguese at the Edgartown Select Board meeting on Monday, Oct. 19.
Officer Miguel Jarillo, 23, an Oak Bluffs resident, stood before his peers from the Edgartown Police Department, members of the Edgartown Select Board, and other residents as he was sworn in as the newest police officer by Edgartown Town Clerk Karen Medeiros.
Jarillo is now one of two officers in the local department who speak fluent Portuguese, which Edgartown Police Chief Chris Dolby called “a very big asset.” According to 2020 census data, 14 percent of people in Dukes County identified themselves as Portuguese or Brazilian. Jarillo also fills a vacancy after the town lost officers to the Aquinnah department, which faced severe staffing shortages.
Jarillo was born and raised on-Island. He attended Edgartown School and graduated from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in 2022, where he played right offensive guard for the football team and defensive midfielder for the boys’ lacrosse program. He said he also played a little soccer.
Jarillo already worked as a traffic officer for the Edgartown Police Department in 2023 and graduated from the police academy as a Tisbury officer in March.
Jarillo said he conducted patrols in Tisbury and helped the community as much as possible and looks forward to his time in Edgartown.
“It feels good,” he said to meeting attendees. “I’m very excited to start in Edgartown. The people of Edgartown have been extremely nice to me so I’m thankful and grateful.”
Curtis Chandler, Jarillo’s field training officer, is also one of his old high school lacrosse coaches.
“I actually had Coach Chandler for lacrosse. Life’s crazy. Now I have him as my field training officer,” Jarillo said.
Dolby also said goodbye to Edgartown Police Sgt. Ryan Ruley, who is transferring to the Aquinnah Police Department as chief of police as of Nov. 6, and credited Edgartown for sending quality officers to other departments across the Island.
“Look at what the town of Edgartown has provided back to the Island: chiefs, supervisors. And I think that’s a credit upon the town of Edgartown, the community that supports us, and the previous leaders at the Edgartown Police Department,” Dolby said.
The Edgartown department also recently saw Officer Jefferey Trudell transfer to the Aquinnah department as a sergeant. Trudell and Ruley’s vacancies and the hiring of Jarillo brings the Edgartown department to 18 officers, one short of its approved staffing of 19. Dolby said they will advertise an opening soon.
“That’s okay with me. These guys get along and further their careers in a small police department,” Dolby said in the meeting. “For those guys to be able to leave and make those advancements. I’m proud of that.”
