Wellesley Police deputy chief Brooks headed to Norwood

Wellesley Police deputy chief William Brooks will be taking over as Norwood’s chief of police in May, ending his 12-year run here. In addition to his work on Wellesley’s force, Brooks has led the regional NORPAC outfit focused on narcotics-related crimes.

The announcement, made at Monday’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting, was a “bittersweet” one, according to BoS chair Barbara Searle, who wished Brooks well in returning to a force he was a member of being joining Wellesley’s department.

Brooks has also been very helpful to us in the past, such as in explaining the ins and outs of Wellesley’s liquor laws, so we wish him well, too.

Brooks says he worked for the Norwood PD for 18 years, 14 as detective sergeant (he worked at Westwood PD for five years before that, so now has worked 35 years as a police officer).  “I’m going back to a department where I spent many years.  I wouldn’t leave Wellesley for just any department,” Brooks says.

Asked about his most memorable moment on the job here, Brooks relayed this story:

“I remember my first week here in Wellesley – I think it was my second day – when Chief Cunningham told me we were having a meeting about the Boston Marathon.  I had run the marathon once and I recalled that it passed through Wellesley, but I never gave any thought to what it must be like to manage the middle five miles of a world-class event like that.  Then I realized that it was the following Monday.  Then Chief Cunningham informed me that he was running in it and wouldn’t be around, so I was in charge.  Everyone had a laugh at the expression on my face.  Of course, the department had handled a hundred marathons by then so everyone knew their jobs.  And my old academy classmate, Peter Nahass, who was still a sergeant then, took my under his wing and told me he’d make me look good.  And he did; it went off without a hitch.”

Brooks says the example set by Cunningham and the support of the rest of the department will help him take the next step.

Meanwhile, we hear the market for limited edition Bill Brooks WPD police cards (seen above) has reportedly shot up this week. If only we could put our hands on our autographed edition.