HUDSON — Chief Richard DiPersio is pleased to share that the Hudson Police Department celebrated the retirement of his predecessor, Chief Michael D. Burks Sr., at the police station last week.
Chief Burks joined the department at a 20-year-old rookie in 1986, and rose through the ranks over the course of his 34 year career before finally deciding to say goodbye to the department at the end of last week. His lengthy career and contributions to the department were recognized by members of the department and peers from the law enforcement community during a retirement luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 27.
Burks worked as a patrol officer for the first decade of his career before being assigned to the department’s Detective Unit in 1997 and subsequently promoted to Sergeant in 1998. He was promoted again in 2004, to Lieutenant, and Captain in 2012 before being named Chief of Police in 2015.
“Chief Burks is responsible for so many important collaborations and has made engaging with the community a top priority,” said Chief DiPersio, who was sworn in as Burks’ replacement last Friday. “His efforts, commitment and dedication to the department and the Town of Hudson will be sorely missed.”
The Hudson Police Department welcomed chiefs from throughout the region — including one of his police academy classmates, along with Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, representatives from the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and — most importantly — his family.
Chief Burks thanks all who came out to support him on his last day with the department after more than three decades, but made special mention of his mother and children and his wife, Lucia,who he recalled meeting when she worked as a bank teller and he would go to cash his paychecks as a young officer.
With his newfound free time, Chief Burks intends to take up playing the guitar, and his colleagues presented him with a Hudson Police guitar pick to support him in that endeavor.
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