Beacon Hill's New Police Captain Brings Breadth of Experience

Beacon Hill’s new police captain may not be from the collection of neighborhoods known as Area A-1, but his 30 years of experience with the department have taken him to every neighborhood in the city.

Captain Tom Lee has had “a number of jobs” while wearing his uniform, ranging form working the front desk as a cadet to commanding the city’s SWAT team. And as a detective with the city’s drug control unit, he said, he made more than 1,000 arrests.

This is Lee's first time assigned to District A-1 although he has worked on  Beacon Hill while assigned as commander of the Motorcycle Unit and participated in Operation Crosswalk and other enforcement activity directed at pedestrian and bicycle safety.

"I’m looking forward to working with the community on Beacon Hill. I’ve already spoken to several residents and they’ve informed me about their major concern which is quality of life complaints and I hope that working together we can address some of the noise complaints and other issues which are affecting the community," Lee said. 

“Some people stay in just one area,” Lee said. “I’ve had the privilege of serving across the police department.”

That wide range of experience, he said, should equip him to understand the jobs performed by the men and women under his command as he eases into what he called “one of the most prestigious posts in the department.”

While Lee brings a wealth of experience to his new post, he said he has little ambition to change the policies left behind by his predecessor, Bernard O’Rourke, who was recently promoted to Deputy Superintendent of the Bureau of Field Services.

“Bernie ran a good station,” Lee said, adding that the officers town residents have grown used to dealing with have remained in their posts.

Other residents may get a sense of the new Area A leader in a different way, though. Lee said the department is making an effort to use online social media to reach out to youth, and is considering other digital platforms, including online chats.