32 years as a Boston Police officer with assignments in B-2, D-4, D-14 Mobile Operations / SWAT,Firearms Training Unit, Director of the Boston Police Peer Support Unit and as an instructor at the Boston Police Academy. In my early years I was an active alcoholic and addict and as a result was terminated from the job in 1985. I reported to what was then called the "Stress Unit" and the officers there introduced me to recovery in a twelve step program. Three years later I won my case and was reinstated to the job with the resulting assignments listed. 25 years later I became the Director of the program that I walked into helpless and hopeless still sober and active in recovery. I know what the officer who walks in that door for the first time feels like and I will never forget it. It is my honor and duty to help the officer who still suffers no matter where they come from or what department they work for. Retired as of March 31, 2015.
3/2014 - 3/2015
Sergeant / Academy Instructor
Boston Police Department– 1 Schroeder Plaza, Boston, MA 02119
Instructor of Specialized Education at The Boston Police Academy
6/2010 - 3/2014
Director of Peer Support, Family Assistance and CISM Team
Boston Police Dept.– Peer Support Unit
Assisted officers from not only the Boston PD but departments all over New England with issues ranging from alcohol and substance abuse, mental health, critical incident trauma or whatever help they needed with complete confidentiality.
Brought police suicides to the forefront of training in the department. Established the first in the nation confidential online police “stress and anxiety quiz” with assistance of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to assist officers in assessing their own mental health and the options to get treatment. Many high risk officers were helped by this process. Also have exposed departments in other states and Canada to this website in the hope of establishing their own.
Through a series of police centered critical incidents in Southern New Hampshire helped bring the
message of CISM to that state and initiated the formation of the Southern NH Regional Police CISM
Team After experiencing a void of mental health options for law enforcement in Massachusetts
especially after critical incidents, established the METROLEC CISM Team which is comprised of police
officers from approximately 50 police departments in Greater Boston. They now have their own team
to deal with the incidents in those towns.
During and after the week of April 15, 2013, as Director of the BPD Peer Support Unit and CISM Team,
Led the most comprehensive Critical incident intervention in the history of the BPD. After the Boston Marathon bombings and Watertown manhunt and shootout, the two units under my command along with the NYPD POPPA team we debriefed over 650 police officers in 57 debriefings in nine days. Because of the success of those interventions many officers today are receiving help they never would have gotten were it not for those debriefings
In July of 2013, with the assistance of Partners Healthcare CEO Dr. Gary Gottlieb initiated the formation of a new law enforcement trauma program at McLeans Hospital in Belmont, MA (voted the #1 Mental Health Facility by US News and World Report annually). The L.E.A.D.E.R. (Law Enforcement Active Duty Emergency Responders) program opened on June 1, 2014.
Arranged an agreement with the Home Base Veterans program at Mass General Hospital to treat police officers exposed to the bomb blasts on Boylston St and in Watertown for treatment whether they were veterans or not.
Negotiated with United Behavioral Health for extended benefits for emergency responders in the
aftermath of the Marathon Bombings.
1/2006 - 6/2010
Boston Police Range Master
Boston Police Dept.– 1 Moon Island Rd
Keeper of all Boston Police Dept. Firearms
Established an updated online weapons inventory and tracking system. Conducted ATF based weapons testing to replace our 14 year old weapons which led to the eventual purchase of the new Glock 22 department wide. Maintained firearms testing scores for all department sworn personnel on a semi-annual basis.
4/1999 - 1/2006
Supervisor of SWAT and Motorcycle Unit
Boston Police Department– 364 Warren Ave Boston
Planning, supervising and executing numerous warrants almost exclusively for armed barricaded
suspects. In two of those raids shots were fired at SWAT Team members.
Assisted in planning and implementation of crowd control tactics during several Boston Sports
teams world Championships.
Supervised transport and protection of all delegates and chiefs to and from hotels at the 2004 DNC and 2006 IACP Conventions
Provided dignitary escorts for several visits by sitting US Presidents, Vice Presidents, and many other heads of state from around the world
12/1997 - 4/1999
Midnight Shift Supervisor
Boston Police Dept.– Area D-14 Brighton
Responsible for Patrol officers on 11:45PM to 7:30AM shift
1/1995 - 12/1997
Traffic Enforcement Officer
Boston Police Dept.– Area D-4 South End Back Bay
First Boston officer to be certified and put into use a LIDAR gun for speed detection and give testimony in court. First officer to use in car video for all traffic stops
7/1992 -1/1995
SWAT Team and Motorcycle officer
Boston Police Dept.– Motorcycle Unit
Tall Ships visit in July 1992 over 1 million visitors to Boston that week
7/ 1989 - 7/1992
Patrol and Plain clothes Officer
Boston Police Dept.– Area B-2 Roxbury
In 1990 Boston's Homicide count was 152 to contrast the last few years the annual average was below 50 per year. Made a multitude of firearms arrests that year and was responsible for putting several felons away for long sentences in both State and Federal Courts Worked in both Marked and unmarked units
7/1984 - 11/1985
SWAT Motorcycle Officer
Boston Police Dept.– SWAT Motorcycle Unit
Escorted President Reagan's motorcade into Boston. Participated in 1st raid with SWAT in which a dangerous felon wanted for shooting a Worcester police officer was apprehended carrying two firearms
7/1983 - 7/1984
Boston Police Dept.– Area D-4 and E-5
Patrol Officer, Walking Beats and Traffic Enforcement
Recruit Officer
Boston Police Dept.– Boston Police Academy
Student Officer at BPD Academy
CERTIFICATIONS
Advanced Group Crisis Intervention - ICISF
Psychological First Aid - Dr. Robert Macy
Post Critical Incident Seminar - Dr. Roger Solomon
From Trauma to Addiction - ICISF
CISM Implications for First Responders
Strategic Response To Crisis - ICISF
Individual Crisis Intervention - ICISF
Suicide Prevention & Intervention - ICISF
Group Crisis Intervention - ICISF
LE PTSD & Suicide Prev. - Stephanie Samuels
Colt AR-15 Amorer Course - Colt Defense Systems
12 Gauge Less Lethal Shotgun Instructor
Glock Armorer Course - Glock Inc.
LEOSA Firearms Instructor - Mass. State Police
Firearms Instructor Course - FBI
Urban Police Rifle Instructor - LEADS
Patrol Rifle Instructor - MPTC
Firearms Safety Course Instructor - Mass State Pol.
Firearms Insructor - FBI
Glock Armorer - Glock Inc.
High Risk Warrants, Barricaded Gunmen - LEADS
Active Shooter Instructor - NTOA
Hostage Rescue Techniques - LEADS
Raid Planning - NE Inst. LE Management
LIDAR Certification - Laser Atlanta Inc.
Executive and Dignitary Protection - IACP
Raid Tactics Level 1 - Smith & Wesson Academy
Police Extremists Groups - NTOA
LIDAR Certification - MCJTC
H&K MP5 & Benelli Shotgun Cert . - Heckler & Koch
Soviet Threat Weapons - Mass National Guard
Chemical Agents Training - Dept. of Corrections
Special Reaction Team - US Army
Radar Operator - MCJTC
Motorcycle Certification - BPD
Uzi 9mm Submachinegun certification - BPD
3/2014 - 3/2015
Sergeant / Academy Instructor
Boston Police Department– 1 Schroeder Plaza, Boston, MA 02119
Instructor of Specialized Education at The Boston Police Academy
6/2010 - 3/2014
Director of Peer Support, Family Assistance and CISM Team
Boston Police Dept.– Peer Support Unit
Assisted officers from not only the Boston PD but departments all over New England with issues ranging from alcohol and substance abuse, mental health, critical incident trauma or whatever help they needed with complete confidentiality.
Brought police suicides to the forefront of training in the department. Established the first in the nation confidential online police “stress and anxiety quiz” with assistance of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to assist officers in assessing their own mental health and the options to get treatment. Many high risk officers were helped by this process. Also have exposed departments in other states and Canada to this website in the hope of establishing their own.
Through a series of police centered critical incidents in Southern New Hampshire helped bring the
message of CISM to that state and initiated the formation of the Southern NH Regional Police CISM
Team After experiencing a void of mental health options for law enforcement in Massachusetts
especially after critical incidents, established the METROLEC CISM Team which is comprised of police
officers from approximately 50 police departments in Greater Boston. They now have their own team
to deal with the incidents in those towns.
During and after the week of April 15, 2013, as Director of the BPD Peer Support Unit and CISM Team,
Led the most comprehensive Critical incident intervention in the history of the BPD. After the Boston Marathon bombings and Watertown manhunt and shootout, the two units under my command along with the NYPD POPPA team we debriefed over 650 police officers in 57 debriefings in nine days. Because of the success of those interventions many officers today are receiving help they never would have gotten were it not for those debriefings
In July of 2013, with the assistance of Partners Healthcare CEO Dr. Gary Gottlieb initiated the formation of a new law enforcement trauma program at McLeans Hospital in Belmont, MA (voted the #1 Mental Health Facility by US News and World Report annually). The L.E.A.D.E.R. (Law Enforcement Active Duty Emergency Responders) program opened on June 1, 2014.
Arranged an agreement with the Home Base Veterans program at Mass General Hospital to treat police officers exposed to the bomb blasts on Boylston St and in Watertown for treatment whether they were veterans or not.
Negotiated with United Behavioral Health for extended benefits for emergency responders in the
aftermath of the Marathon Bombings.
1/2006 - 6/2010
Boston Police Range Master
Boston Police Dept.– 1 Moon Island Rd
Keeper of all Boston Police Dept. Firearms
Established an updated online weapons inventory and tracking system. Conducted ATF based weapons testing to replace our 14 year old weapons which led to the eventual purchase of the new Glock 22 department wide. Maintained firearms testing scores for all department sworn personnel on a semi-annual basis.
4/1999 - 1/2006
Supervisor of SWAT and Motorcycle Unit
Boston Police Department– 364 Warren Ave Boston
Planning, supervising and executing numerous warrants almost exclusively for armed barricaded
suspects. In two of those raids shots were fired at SWAT Team members.
Assisted in planning and implementation of crowd control tactics during several Boston Sports
teams world Championships.
Supervised transport and protection of all delegates and chiefs to and from hotels at the 2004 DNC and 2006 IACP Conventions
Provided dignitary escorts for several visits by sitting US Presidents, Vice Presidents, and many other heads of state from around the world
12/1997 - 4/1999
Midnight Shift Supervisor
Boston Police Dept.– Area D-14 Brighton
Responsible for Patrol officers on 11:45PM to 7:30AM shift
1/1995 - 12/1997
Traffic Enforcement Officer
Boston Police Dept.– Area D-4 South End Back Bay
First Boston officer to be certified and put into use a LIDAR gun for speed detection and give testimony in court. First officer to use in car video for all traffic stops
7/1992 -1/1995
SWAT Team and Motorcycle officer
Boston Police Dept.– Motorcycle Unit
Tall Ships visit in July 1992 over 1 million visitors to Boston that week
7/ 1989 - 7/1992
Patrol and Plain clothes Officer
Boston Police Dept.– Area B-2 Roxbury
In 1990 Boston's Homicide count was 152 to contrast the last few years the annual average was below 50 per year. Made a multitude of firearms arrests that year and was responsible for putting several felons away for long sentences in both State and Federal Courts Worked in both Marked and unmarked units
7/1984 - 11/1985
SWAT Motorcycle Officer
Boston Police Dept.– SWAT Motorcycle Unit
Escorted President Reagan's motorcade into Boston. Participated in 1st raid with SWAT in which a dangerous felon wanted for shooting a Worcester police officer was apprehended carrying two firearms
7/1983 - 7/1984
Boston Police Dept.– Area D-4 and E-5
Patrol Officer, Walking Beats and Traffic Enforcement
Recruit Officer
Boston Police Dept.– Boston Police Academy
Student Officer at BPD Academy
CERTIFICATIONS
Advanced Group Crisis Intervention - ICISF
Psychological First Aid - Dr. Robert Macy
Post Critical Incident Seminar - Dr. Roger Solomon
From Trauma to Addiction - ICISF
CISM Implications for First Responders
Strategic Response To Crisis - ICISF
Individual Crisis Intervention - ICISF
Suicide Prevention & Intervention - ICISF
Group Crisis Intervention - ICISF
LE PTSD & Suicide Prev. - Stephanie Samuels
Colt AR-15 Amorer Course - Colt Defense Systems
12 Gauge Less Lethal Shotgun Instructor
Glock Armorer Course - Glock Inc.
LEOSA Firearms Instructor - Mass. State Police
Firearms Instructor Course - FBI
Urban Police Rifle Instructor - LEADS
Patrol Rifle Instructor - MPTC
Firearms Safety Course Instructor - Mass State Pol.
Firearms Insructor - FBI
Glock Armorer - Glock Inc.
High Risk Warrants, Barricaded Gunmen - LEADS
Active Shooter Instructor - NTOA
Hostage Rescue Techniques - LEADS
Raid Planning - NE Inst. LE Management
LIDAR Certification - Laser Atlanta Inc.
Executive and Dignitary Protection - IACP
Raid Tactics Level 1 - Smith & Wesson Academy
Police Extremists Groups - NTOA
LIDAR Certification - MCJTC
H&K MP5 & Benelli Shotgun Cert . - Heckler & Koch
Soviet Threat Weapons - Mass National Guard
Chemical Agents Training - Dept. of Corrections
Special Reaction Team - US Army
Radar Operator - MCJTC
Motorcycle Certification - BPD
Uzi 9mm Submachinegun certification - BPD