Watertown Police Chief Ed Deveau
Ed Deveau is the former Police Chief of the Watertown Police Department who, on April 19, 2013, lead state police, federal agencies, and surrounding communities’ officers in the 20-hour search for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. His heroic leadership and the team he led following the suspenseful shoot-out are a model for our nation. As a dynamic keynote speaker, Deveau’s story has been heard across the country and he served as a consultant on the film, Patriot’s Day, depicted by David De Beck.
Born and raised in Watertown, Massachusetts, Deveau began his career in law enforcement by attending the FBI National Academy Program Session. In 2014, he was appointed to the Northeast Homeland Security Regional Advisory Council where he served for four years. He later joined the Watertown Police Department, serving as Police Chief for 14 of his 32 years on the force. Ranked one of the safest cities in state, the Watertown Police Department neither anticipated nor trained for the two-day manhunt that followed a seemingly minor carjack report. However, on the eve of his scheduled retirement, Ed Deveau was thrust into the national spotlight as he led a successful interagency takedown of a deadly terrorist in his hometown without losing a single officer.
Following the arrest, Chief Deveau postponed his retirement to see the trial though, expressing his commitment to the community by going to the federal court nearly every day of the bomber’s trial. As an integral part of the Boston bombing survivor community, Deveau continues to support and inspire those affected, even running the Boston Marathon for a fourth time in 2014 alongside eleven Watertown Police Officers.
