Community Policing Arrives in Norwood as Officers Take to the Streets, Shops, and Schools

May 17, 1992 — The Boston Globe

When three Norwood police officers in two cruisers rolled quietly into a cluster of automotive shops off Route 1 one morning last week, employees stepped out of their bays and offices almost immediately, exchanging puzzled looks. No one had called the police. No alarms had sounded. No crime had been reported.

Inside Peter Troccoli’s transmission shop, Troccoli stood up from behind his desk, startled. The unspoken question hung in the air: Who’s in trouble?

The answer, as Patrolman Peter Borroni quickly explained, was no one. The officers were there not to investigate, but to help—to suggest security improvements as part of the department’s newest initiative: community policing.

“They are used to seeing us only when there is a problem,” said Sgt. Kevin McDonough, coordinator for community police programs. “Now, we want them to see us other times, too.”

A National Movement Reaches Norwood

Community policing—an approach that emphasizes communication, visibility, and partnership between police and residents—has been gaining national attention. In the wake of unrest in Los Angeles, many departments are re‑examining how they interact with the public. In Boston, the St. Clair Report recommended expanding community policing. And the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council has begun incorporating the philosophy into its curriculum.

“I sense many chiefs in Massachusetts are very interested in knowing more about this concept,” said William Baker, the council’s executive director. “There are 100 ways to define it; basically it means turning a negative interaction into a positive one.”

Baker, formerly a chief in Southborough and Sutton, said he often wrote letters to residents who criticized the police. Even when they disagreed, they appreciated the response. In Madison, Wisconsin—often cited as the national model—officers hand out safety literature to motorists stopped for speeding.

Chief DiBlasi: “The Paramilitary Concept Is Dead”

In Norwood, Chief George DiBlasi describes community policing as helping law‑abiding citizens solve problems.

Police, he notes, spend 20 percent of their time fighting crime and 80 percent on social service work.

“The paramilitary concept is dead.”

In many ways, community policing is a return to the old neighborhood walking beat—something lost when cruisers and technology took center stage.

“The key is to get officers out of their cars and talking to the community,” DiBlasi said.

Programs Already in Motion

Norwood has launched several initiatives:

Walk and Talk

Officers drop in at businesses, PTO meetings, civic groups, senior centers, and social gatherings simply to talk and build relationships.

Adopt‑a‑Cop

Once a month, officers have lunch with elementary school students.

Crime Watch Cable Show

A monthly program featuring segments on drugs, home security, and even a reenacted drunken‑driving arrest.

Night Watch

The newest program, modeled after North Miami Beach, focuses on business security during the midnight‑to‑8 shift. Officers check for issues such as poor lighting or obscured entrances, leave a note under the door, and a day‑shift officer follows up in person.

A Softer Look, Without Softening on Crime

DiBlasi also wants officers to appear more approachable. The department is phasing out black leather jackets—long a staple of the uniform—in favor of Gore‑Tex cloth jackets.

“The connotation of black leather is intimidation,” McDonough said.

Cruisers are also getting a makeover: a red, white, and blue paint scheme will replace the traditional black‑and‑white.

But DiBlasi stresses that none of this means the department is easing up.

“We are very tough on the bad guys.”

Arrest numbers remain steady, and radar speed traps are as frequent as ever.

Ironically, DiBlasi began exploring community policing because of complaints that the department was too efficient—issuing too many citations and making too many arrests.

“Even though arrests have not gone down, the ‘efficiency’ complaints have stopped,” he said.

Businesses Warm to the Idea

Though Troccoli and neighboring shop owners were initially caught off guard by the officers’ unexpected visit, they quickly embraced the concept.

Richard LeVangie, owner of Westwood Automotive, said the lighting improvements suggested by police could deter youths who gather behind the building in summer.

“We need it,” LeVangie said.

The Boston Globe-May 17, 1992

Text and images may have been created, edited, colorized, or digitally restored using AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini. All content is reviewed for accuracy and historical integrity before publication by the Norwood Historical Society