Meet new NBPD officer Turner Ryan

For Officer Turner Ryan, the newest member of the New Bedford Police Department, his new job represents the fulfillment of a long-held dream.

“I have wanted to be on the New Bedford Police Department my whole life,’’ he said.

He was born and raised in New Bedford, where he graduated from New Bedford High School in 2004 and from UMass Amherst with a degree in criminal justice and psychology in 2008.

While he waited for a position to come open at the New Bedford Police Department, he served as a reserve officer and EMT for the Mattapoisett Police Department for more than four years.

“I’ve always wanted to help people,’’ he said. He said his outgoing, active personality makes him a good fit for the always changing role of a police officer. “I didn’t want to sit in an office all day.’’

Officer Ryan, 31, and his wife Rebecca are expecting a daughter in July.