The Wellesley Police Department would like to congratulate Officer Mike Gerard on his recent retirement from the department after 38 years of service to the Town of Wellesley.
A Wellesley native, Officer Gerard began his career at the Wellesley Police Department in November of 1984 when he was hired as a civilian police dispatcher. Mike came on board when the civilian dispatcher program was relatively new, replacing police officers from dispatching calls.
Mike was also appointed as a Wellesley Special Police Officer, and when not working on the ‘desk’ he was volunteering his time on patrol as a Special Officer.
In 1994, Mike was appointed to the police department as a full time Police Officer. Officer Gerard spent several years on the department’s Bike Patrol, riding in Wellesley Square and Wellesley Hills on the evening shift. Mike spent the majority of his career on nights and overnights in patrol.
Mike worked in several specialized areas during his career, including Accident Reconstruction, Field Training, Fleet Services, and was an EMT and Car Seat Technician. Most notably, Mike served proudly on the Wellesley Police Department’s Honor Guard, and retired as the unit commander.
Mike traveled far and wide representing the Town of Wellesley and the Wellesley Police with the Honor Guard at various public events, including Washington D.C., Arlington National Cemetery, the State House, and countless funerals on the eastern seaboard. He marched in almost every annual Wellesley Parade, as well as the Town’s September 11 and Memorial Day services.
Officer Gerard was always willing to help out a citizen or a colleague. He never lost his cool on the street, and is respected by everyone on the department. Mike is the type of officer that was always looking to de-escalate a situation, well before the term became a police mainstay. One of his greatest gifts was his ability to listen and show empathy to citizens in crisis. This ability to remain calm and patient often defused many irate citizens and made Mike many friends.
We congratulate Mike and wish him a very happy retirement.