Police Chief

The Chief of Police heads the Billerica Police Department. For most of the town's history, law enforcement rested with the elected constables; by the 1880s the selectmen also hired paid policemen (W. G. Potts was paid for services as policeman in the 1886 and 1887 reports), and from the 1890s two regular police officers, Martin Conway, Jr. and Everett W. Livingston, filed a joint annual Police Report with the selectmen. At the March 1902 town meeting Billerica accepted Section 37 of Chapter 19 of the Revised Laws, placing the police force under civil service. The next year Martin Conway, Jr. signed the police report for the year ending February 1904 as Chief of Police, the first use of the title in the town reports; he signed as chief through February 1907.

The title then lapsed for several years. From 1907 to 1911 Conway and Livingston served as police officers for Precincts 2 and 1, and Conway again signed as Chief of Police for the year ending February 1913. The 1914 town meeting left the regulation of the police to the selectmen, and from then Henry D. Livingston and William H. O'Brien signed the reports jointly as Police Officers (1915-1921). In 1922 the selectmen reorganized the department and promoted Livingston to Deputy Chief in active charge. Early in 1928, citing a lack of discipline, the selectmen promoted O'Brien to Deputy Chief under civil service, and early in 1929 they appointed Livingston Chief of the force, the first full Chief of Police since Conway. The 1939 town meeting voted to place the Chief of Police under civil service (Section 49 of Chapter 31, General Laws).

Livingston died in office on January 7, 1938 and O'Brien succeeded him. O'Brien retired December 1, 1947; John F. Trainor, a policeman since about 1918-1919, was made Acting Chief that day and Chief in August 1948, retiring January 31, 1956. Sergeant Joseph L. Ryan was Acting Chief from February 1, 1956 and Chief from June 1956 until his death on May 30, 1976. John M. Barretto, Jr. was Acting Chief from 1976 and was appointed Chief December 5, 1977, serving until November 1994. Paul W. Matthews was appointed October 14, 1994; Daniel C. Rosa, Jr. was appointed December 3, 2001 and retired in July 2021. Lt. Commander Troy Opland served as interim chief from July to December 2021, and Roy W. Frost, a member of the department for about 25 years, was appointed Chief on December 21, 2021.

Sources: Billerica annual town reports (Police Reports, officer lists, Selectmen's reports 1922, 1928, 1929, 1947, 1956, 1976-1977 and memorials), 1902 town meeting Article 12, 1939 Article 38; Billerica Police Department website (2021-2023).