LYNN — Deputy Chief of Police Mark O’Toole has retired from the Lynn Police Department after 39 years of service.
Raised in west Lynn, O’Toole graduated from Lynn Classical High School and received his degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University.
He joined the LPD in 1986, and was promoted to sergeant in 1994. Two years later he became lieutenant, and he was promoted to patrol captain in 2000. In 2002, O’Toole became captain of professional standards and served as captain of detectives from 2008-2022. His final promotion came three years ago, when he was appointed deputy chief of operations.
“I didn’t intend on staying as long as I did, but in 2022 when I was fortunate enough to be appointed deputy chief of operations, I oversaw about 150 investigators, patrol line officers, and supervisors. It was a bit of a learning curve to go back to learning the patrol after being out many years, but we got the work done,” O’Toole said.
In his 39-year career, O’Toole has directly witnessed how different types of crime have affected Lynn across generations. He recalled handling cases involving terrorism charges, anthrax attacks, the opioid epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic and more.
“I’ve got every call, all hours of the day and night,” O’Toole said. “The goal is to stand up for people and get answers for those who cannot stand up for themselves, to bring those to justice and hold them accountable, and to have a successful conclusion to a crime.”
O’Toole said in his role as deputy chief of operations, he brought a strong sense of respect and consideration to those under his command.
“Officers knew that they would be treated fairly by me. I would not ask any officer in the department to do something that I wouldn’t do myself. I made my decisions with the best interest of the department and the city in what I was sworn to do,” O’Toole said.
“I spent many nights awake thinking about conditions and events that affect the safety of the officers. Bringing them home to their families was of utmost importance to me,” he added.
The LPD held a celebration for O’Toole on July 30, which was attended by Mayor Jared C. Nicholson and LPD colleagues such as Chief of Police Christopher Reddy and Detective Tom Hazard. There, O’Toole chose to participate in a final roll call for the LPD officers.
“Deputy Chief O’Toole will leave behind a remarkable legacy of service,” said Nicholson. “His years of service and unwavering commitment to public safety have profoundly impacted our community. We thank him for his tireless efforts to keep Lynn safe and wish him a happy and much-deserved retirement.”
After his retirement ceremony, O’Toole said he is “still exhaling” from his time at the LPD, and now plans to spend more time with his family.
“I’m satisfied with my career. It’s time to close things out,” O’Toole said.
