Mission & Values

The Police Mission

To work in partnership with the Select Board, in their capacity as Police Commissioners, the Town Administrator and community members to ensure that all people enjoy a high quality of life without fear of crime.  To work together to solve problems and provide the most responsive, highest quality, fair and impartial police service.  To proactively prevent crime, maintain order, and apprehend offenders, without discrimination and in a manner consistent with the law and procedural justice.  Policing in Brookline shall be conducted in a bias free manner and in accordance with state statutes. 

Our Values

The Department subscribes to the following set of governing values that state its beliefs as a police organization: 

1. The two most important assets of the Brookline Police Department are our personnel and the Community we serve. 

2. Excellence for the members of the Brookline Police Department is based upon fairness, integrity, hard work, and professionalism in the performance of their duties. 

3. Commitment to providing the highest quality of fair, impartial and professional law enforcement with the goal of enhancing the quality of life within the community. 

4. Build partnerships with residents and non-residents in order to ensure personal safety, protect individual rights, protect property, and promote individual responsibility and community commitment. 

5. Secure and maintain public respect in order to fulfill the Department’s duties by acknowledging that the quality of life in the community is affected by not only the absence of crime, but also by the absence of the fear of crime itself. 

The Department consists of the following seven subprograms:

1. The Administration and Support Division provides overall control of the functions of the Department. It maintains records, provides upgrades in communications and technology equipment and will continue to improve all monitoring and accountability processes to ensure fair and impartial policing takes place.  It also includes the Public Safety Business Office, a group responsible for all financial and budgetary matters for both the Police Department and the Fire Department. 

This Division also provides oversight and direction in implementing the recommendations of committees established by the Select Board or Town Meeting to improve public safety in Brookline or to aid the Select Board in carrying out its role as Police Commissioners. 

2. The Patrol Division continuously patrols all sectors of Town while providing a variety of public safety services. Their efforts also serve as a deterrent to criminal activity.  The Patrol function is vital and, for that reason, the Chief has directed that there be a minimum staffing policy maintained daily. 

3. The Criminal Investigation Unit is responsible for the investigation of all violent crimes, including murder, rape, armed robbery, assault, and narcotic violations, and maintains the safety of all evidence.  The Evidence Officer is responsible for distributing and maintaining all lethal and less than lethal weapons and related equipment. 

4. The Community Services Division is charged with facilitating a spirit of cooperation between members of the public and the Department that helps to enhance the quality of life for all individuals.  Housed within this Division is the Elder Affairs Officer, Youth Resource Officers, Community Resource Officers, the Crisis Intervention Team (including a grant funded social worker) and the Department’s Training and Accreditation Unit which is responsible for training officers in policies and procedures including the Use of Force and De-escalation, training in the safe use of all issued equipment, state mandated trainings and various forms of elective trainings that officers are sent to. 

5. The Traffic and Parking Division is responsible for educating the public and enforcing laws and regulations relating to the safe operation of motor vehicles in Brookline. 

6. The Public Safety Dispatch Division is responsible for handling and dispatching all police, fire, and ambulance calls, including E-911. 

7. One patrol officer serves as the Town’s Animal Control Officer. The Animal Control Officer normally works five days a week.  All Brookline Police Officers are responsible for enforcing the Town’s animal control laws, and will continue to do so when the Animal Control officer is off duty.