The Wellesley Police Department regrets to announce the passing of retired police officer Rick Potter. Rick passed away on January 24, 2024. He was 73 years old.
Officer Potter grew up in Wellesley, and began working for the town in 1968 at the Department of Public Works. He served in the United States Army, and went to Vietnam. Upon completing his military service, Rick was appointed to the Wellesley Special Police Department in 1974, while continuing to work and live in Wellesley. Rick was appointed as a full time police officer on the Wellesley Police Department in 1977. He retired in 2012 , with 38 years of police service and 44 years of service to the town.
Rick worked the vast majority of his career on First Half, which is the 4PM to Midnight shift. He was a certified Emergency Medical Technician, and frequently worked on the Wellesley Police Department Ambulance, when WPD provided that service to the community.
Rick had a vast amount of knowledge and experience, and as such was a long standing Field Training Officer (FTO). Rick trained many current members of the Wellesley Police Department, and was famous for putting his glasses on the dashboard of the cruiser. He would then tell new officers that they could drive the cruiser any way they wanted, so long as his glasses never fell off the dashboard. That lesson stuck with many of us.
Rick had an institutional knowledge of Wellesley, and knew many of the residents and businesses in town from his years of service. He was a true community police officer.
Rick was the president of the Wellesley Patrolman’s Association, and successfully negotiated several union contracts for patrol officers during his time. He was then elected to serve as a regional vice president and area representative for the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, a parent organization that represents many police unions in Metro Boston, even after he retired.
Services for Officer Potter will be at the Burke Family Funeral Home, 56 Washington Street, Wellesley on Tuesday, January 30, 2024 from 3 to 5PM. Full service details are available here.