By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
Marlborough – A law enforcement career spanning 32 and a half years in two communities culminated March 16 when Sgt. Richard McDevitt worked his final shift at the Marlborough Police Department (MPD). In doing so, he has accomplished his lifelong goals.
“From an early age, I’ve always wanted to be a cop,” he said. “I knew that I really wanted to help people in a variety of ways. I was born and brought up in Marlborough and always had the desire to work in the community where I live.”
After graduating from Hudson Catholic High in 1977, McDevitt worked for a few years as a postal carrier. In 1984, he took action to pursue his dream job by attending the Massachusetts State Police Academy, located at the time in Framingham. There, classes were offered for state troopers and municipal officers.
“It was a very tough academy for municipal police officers,” McDevitt recalled. “Our class started with 59, but only 40 graduated. It’s similar to Army training; they had to break you down and then build you up. We got versed in everything from firearms to constitutional law. There was a lot of training in a short period of time. They give you the basics, then you go out and develop learning on the job.”
On-the-job training started for McDevitt as a patrol officer in 1984 at the Northborough Police Department. Beginning in 1992, he also worked as a field training officer.
“When recruits get out of the academy, a field training officer shows them the ropes,” he explained. “You teach them everything about the station and take them out into the community. It’s a learning process that all agencies do for new people out of the academy.”
In 1996, a patrol officer position opened in Marlborough. After working in Northborough for 11 and a half years, McDevitt decided to transfer to the MPD. He acknowledges that making the decision wasn’t easy.
“I was working very happily as a Northborough officer,” he said. “The last time I took the civil service test was in 1988 and I sat on the list for eight years. When my name came up in ‘96, I took the opening in Marlborough. I always had the desire to work in my hometown, so I left Northborough with mixed emotions, but I’m glad that I did. There was more room for advancement in Marlborough.”
McDevitt did rise through the ranks after joining the MPD as a patrol officer in 1996. He soon became a field training officer for a couple years. In 1999, he was promoted to detective with added responsibilities including school visits, maintaining the sex offender registry and responding to domestic violence calls. McDevitt was promoted to sergeant in 2001, working as patrol supervisor mostly for the 4 p.m. to midnight shift.
“I had the opportunity to help people,” he said. “The police are tasked to deal with society’s problems and a lot of times it feels like you’re putting a band-aid on it. But I’ve been involved with a lot of successes. Some people called with a problem and I was able to resolve it or make them feel better about it. That’s a good feeling.”
On March 16, McDevitt was joined by family, friends and colleagues at the MPD for his last day of work – or more precisely, his last half day.
“I ended up working only half a shift because I needed to take my last half personal day off,” he noted. “I enjoyed the people, relationships and comradery in the department right up to my last shift.”