BCPD celebrates 127 years of combined service

Four recent retirees from the Boston College Police Department were celebrated this fall by their colleagues for their 127 years of combined service: Sgt. Joseph Desmond, 32 years; Officer John Ellis, 35 years; Officer Santos Perez, 28 years; and Officer Howard Lau, 32 years.

“Boston College’s motto is ‘Ever to Excel’ and these officers did just that,” said BC Police Association President Michael Callahan. “They excelled at other agencies and they excelled here. They leave behind great accomplishments and great records.”

Desmond spent six years with the Newton Police Department before joining BCPD, which is fully accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.

“With police work, every day is different,” said Desmond. “Every call is different. Sometimes it’s something routine, and sometimes it’s something serious like a medical call. But you are helping people out.

“It’s a small department and they have hired quality people—the command staff, patrol officers, security officers—they are all great people to work with,” Desmond added.

Ellis, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from BC, particularly enjoyed his executive security assignments for visiting dignitaries.  

“The best thing about the job was the people,” said Ellis, who served as a patrol officer and spent 14 years as a detective. “The people that worked there. The students. I used to consider Boston College a city within a city. Everybody got along and it was such a fun place to work.”

Perez served 22 years in the United States Air Force, working for the branch’s security forces. After the military, he worked for the police department at Brandeis University before joining BC.

“The best part was the community policing aspect of the job,” said Perez. “You are helping people and doing the right thing for safety. Community policing is not about arresting everybody for everything. People on campus are young, they have a lot to learn and a lot to experience. You have to show a little understanding.”

Perez helped to create the University Police Coalition, working with representatives of police departments at Harvard University, Boston University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, and Tufts University. The organization has been active at the Massachusetts State House in seeking reforms for institutional departments to ensure they and their officers are accorded the same treatment as municipal departments, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Transit Police of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority.

“We go through the same academy, the same training, but we are not recognized the same way,” said Perez, who plans to continue advocating on behalf of the coalition. “We’ve been working on this for 10 years and we’re finally getting some movement.”

Lau came to BCPD after nine years with Newton police. He worked the night shift for nearly two decades and was part of the department’s motorcycle unit.

“It was great to meet the students,” said Lau. “A lot of them come back after graduation and they remember you when they come back for a game or a reunion. The students were quite amazing and they were great kids too.”

He counts his three children among them.

“I was so proud to have all three of our children graduate from Boston College,” Lau said.