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Ed Deveau
Police Chief of the Watertown Police Department
Ed Deveau
Police Chief of the Watertown Police Department
Biography
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, Patriots 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.
Appearing on many television programs and national publications, including CNN, Dateline, 60 Minutes, CSNBC, Fox, and ABC, as well as being honored as the keynote speaker at the FBI National Conference and numerous universities, Deveau is a national symbol of influence and pride. He has received numerous awards for his leadership and courage, including those from the Middlesex Bar Association and the Theodore Mann Regional Leadership Award from the Greater Boston Federal Executive Board. In addition, he was honored as a special guest of Senator Edward J. Markey at President Obama’s State of the Union in 2014. In 2015, he returned to the White House with his officers to receive the Medal of Valor.
Today, Deveau serves as Vice President and Chief Business Development Officer for Data-Vis, a MIT-based software and tech company that works to improve law enforcement agencies. An expert storyteller with vivid first-hand experiences, Deveau never gets tired of sharing his story of leadership and courage in a time or national crisis.
Speaker Videos
Lessons Learned from the Boston Marathon Bombing
Ed Deveau and MIT Officer Collier Witness
Speech Topics
Leadership/Teamwork
When faced with a terrorist attack that put the lives of his officers and Watertown residents on the line, Ed Deveau took leadership during a civil crisis to successfully carry out a mission he was never trained for. Despite his essential role in the manhunt, Deveau insists the capture was a team effort, saying “all law enforcement worked together in just an incredible way… There was no one that had any bigger voice than the person sitting beside him.” Even though none of the responding officers were killed, he admits there were flaws to his approach and has since extensively investigated the actions taken during the emergency to improve law enforcement response in the future. From this, he has learned how to better organize and lead teams to be as effective as possible in any situation. Deveau continues to support his community and victims of the tragedy.
Boston Strong
With firsthand experience and compelling detail, Ed Deveau captures audiences with his amazing story that finds hope and resilience in one of the nation's greatest tragedies. Inspiring strength and uplifting listeners, Deveau speaks on the importance of community and the valuable lessons he learned while the world was watching.
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