NAHANT — Chief Robert Dwyer will retire in July after 30 years with the Nahant Police Department, the town’s Board of Selectmen announced last week.
Dwyer, 58, began his career with the Nahant Police in 1991. He was promoted to sergeant in 2000 before he was eventually named chief in April 2010.
“I just felt it was the right time to retire,” Dwyer said Tuesday. “(There’s) mixed emotions. I’m going to miss this place because I’ve worked very hard over here, and I’m going to miss the day-to-day with the officers I’ve worked with throughout the years. I’m going to miss the town itself, the residents. It’s bittersweet.”
Dwyer will be replaced by Officer Timothy Furlong, a 13-year veteran of the department who left the force briefly in 2019 to join Lynn’s police department.
Furlong, a Lynn native who previously worked overnight shifts alongside Dwyer, noted it was his former colleague who convinced him to return to Nahant earlier this year to take on the new role.
“When we worked together, I kind of attached to him and mimicked his work ethic and have followed in his suit since,” Furlong said. “After I spent a year with Lynn PD, in talking with Chief Dwyer, he convinced me to come back.
“I admire a lot of things about him. He’s one of the hardest-working individuals I’ve ever met. He’s a family-oriented guy who never forgot where he came from.”
Dwyer’s last day will be July 30. As he prepares to leave his post behind, he said he’s confident the department will be left in good hands.
“Tim knows the day-to-day operations of this department, he knows the town, and he knows the officers who are currently working here, so I think he’s a good fit for this transition,” he said. “He’ll do an excellent job.”
As for his own career, Dwyer thanked Town Administrator Antonio Barletta and the Board of Selectmen for their support over the last three decades, adding: “I’m very satisfied with the way I’m retiring. I’m healthy, and I look forward to the next chapter of my life.”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
