On Dec. 4, the Concord-Carlisle Human Rights Council held its annual tea marking the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
This year’s guest speaker was Concord’s Police Chief Joseph O’Connor, who will be retiring at the end of December.
Chief O’Connor spoke about his early career as an officer and his 25 years with the Massachusetts Transit Police. He also reflected on his time here in Concord providing perspectives on law enforcement and how it has evolved during his time in Concord with an ever-expanding role in protecting human rights in our community. In fact, he explained that this has been the goal of CPD since its founding 1872.
After his talk, Chief O’Connor generously answered questions from the audience with his wealth of knowledge and experience and humor. Of particular interest to Chief O’Connor is building relationships between the Concord Police Department and civic, religious and government organizations in town to foster openness of communication and willingness to work closely on issues.
Chief O’Connor will be retiring at the end of December, and we want to take this opportunity to thank him for his engagement with the Human Rights Council over the years. He was always willing to take our call and to attend our meeting to discuss the matters of the day. Chief O’Connor has continued the work of the CPD by working with the Council to ensure human rights are respected in Concord.
We wish Chief O’Connor health and happiness in his retirement.
Rich Yamartino, Shari Barzun
Co-Chairs, Concord-Carlisle Human Rights Council
