Lincoln Council President Jeremiah O'Grady congratulates Chief Brian Sullivan

By JON BAKER

LINCOLN — Brian Sullivan had been conducting his first interview as this bedroom town’s new police chief at mid-afternoon Wednesday when Sgt. Jack McRoberts entered the office, noting how badly he wanted to “leak” the news to the press on Monday.

McRoberts, always one of Lincoln’s most upbeat officers, claimed he couldn’t at the time, as he was “under order,” but did say he was thrilled for his longtime friend and “teammate.”
Sullivan, seated not behind his new desk but in front of it (call that revealing), flashed a grin as wide as McRobert’s shoulders after gleaning more “Congratulations” from officers whose shift had ended.
At that point, Sullivan, who turned 48 weeks before, admitted Town Administrator T. Joseph Almond had declared him the “head honcho” on Monday afternoon, during a senior staff meeting — including four lieutenants and three sergeants. Still, it didn’t become official until Tuesday night, when Almond and the Town Council ceremoniously welcomed him.
“I had discussions with Joe over the past few weeks, and I was hoping, but it didn’t become fact until Monday,” said Sullivan, the first “home-grown” chief since Romeo Lanctot retired back in 1981. “Obviously, I was ecstatic. It wasn’t so much relief; it was more like I was overwhelmed with joy and excitement.”
The fact it happened on St. Patrick’s Day — Sullivan is 100 percent Irish — made the news more special.
“I don’t think (the decision) was designed that way, but I must say the timing was perfect,” he laughed. “It couldn’t have been a better day.
So how did Sullivan celebrate? He went with his wife of nearly six years, Shilpa, and four-year-old daughter Shaili to a Smithfield restaurant.
“I naturally had corned beef and cabbage, but I was the only one,” he smiled. “My wife and daughter are vegetarians, but I know Shaili loved her grilled cheese and fries.”
His tone suddenly became more serious.
“It’s been a long road, but I’ve always enjoyed coming into work every day,” he stated. “There has never been a morning when I said, ‘Oh, boy, I’ve got to go to work.’ This is something I’ve wanted my whole life, and I’ve never regretted a minute.
“My wife gives me some heck sometimes, because of all the time I put in here,” he added. “There were times I was supposed to be home at 4:15 or 4:30, and she’ll call me at 6:30 and I’m still here because something happened … The good news is, I think she kind of expects it now. She was very excited for me, and I’m thankful for that..”
Sullivan also stated that Almond had decided months ago, following former chief Robert T. Kells’ retirement in October, that he would concentrate his search inside the department only.
“He told me he wanted to look at the department in every way, shape and form, and how it could become better,” he said. “Joe thought of it as a ‘needs’ assessment, and could those needs be addressed by people already there.”

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When asked the kind of chief he aspires to be, Sullivan responded this way: “When the guys found out, they were very happy for me and congratulated me. They let me know they’d be supportive, and — if there was anything they could do to help — they’d be available.
“When I heard that, I was just thinking, ‘You guys already do that,’” he continued. “You know about sports, and about being a member of a team. There’s no ‘I’ in team, and I truly believe that. Especially at a small department like this, we’re all working for the community and to help it win (against crime). We draw from each other’s strengths, just like you would on the football field.”
Because he’s still processing the appointment, he said he has no immediate goals.
“It’s still setting in, so I haven’t thought that far ahead,” he offered. “There’s nothing that needs to be addressed, say, tomorrow, but I will sit down with the senior staff soon and get input from them as to what they deem as needs. The same goes for the community. If residents believe we need to do something about a certain subject, I’ll be more than glad to sit down and listen, develop a plan for a remedy.”
He did say he will spend time pursuing a federal Byrne Grant, one passed through the Rhode Island Justice Commission, to attain funding of seven new mobile data terminals for cruisers.
“We definitely need more of those,” he said.
Sullivan knew as an underclassman at Lincoln High, where he excelled in varsity football and baseball, that he someday would chase a career in law enforcement. After graduating in 1978, he entered Shippenburg State (Pa.) College (now Shippenburg University), and earned a Bachelor’s in criminal justice in 1982. Stunningly, just a month later, he landed a job as a dispatcher at his hometown station, and spent the next four years there.

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Tough times, however, quickly followed. Desiring to be a patrolman, Sullivan successfully completed all the necessary tests and training, and hoped to gain admission to the Rhode Island Municipal Police Academy.
His application, though, was turned down in 1986, as he had lost virtually all hearing in his right ear.
“I’ve had it since I was a young child; I don’t know if it was the mumps or another illness, but for a long time, I haven’t known what it’s like to hear from both ears,” he said.
Sullivan noted that, when he was turned down, he filed a lawsuit with the Rhode Island Human Rights Commission, and that those officials had found basis for a discriminatory complaint.
“To make a long story short, I hired a lawyer, and the town didn’t have a rule against hiring someone hearing-impaired,” he said. “I was told I wouldn’t be sent to the police academy, which I had my heart set on. Because I believed we would prevail in the lawsuit, I went to URI and studied economics, and also took some classes in education. I figured I’d pursue another degree, but I still worked for the department as a special detail officer.”
As he anticipated, he won the two-year-long lawsuit battle, was sent to the academy and graduated second in a class of 30. The Lincoln department, who had sponsored him, immediately hired Sullivan as a patrolman in 1988. He later became a D.A.R.E. officer and juvenile detective, appointed a sergeant in 1998, then promoted to lieutenant in 2000. In August 2002, he gained deputy chief status, and became acting chief when Kells retired.

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Even now, Sullivan pursues a Master’s of Science in the justice administration program at Salve Regina University. (He also attained, in 2001, his teaching certificate in elementary education from Roger Williams University).
“I’m a firm believer in life-long learning,” he said. “I’ve always been involved in some kind of education course, be it in Spanish or scuba diving, whatever. I believe it will help in police work or life in general.
“I think I will benefit from learning in all sorts of subjects, and the department will, too,” he added. “Having all that information available to you, obviously, won’t hurt.”
While he knows his place at the LPD, he’s not so sure about home.
“My wife was talking to our daughter before the council meeting (Tuesday) night, and she explained to Shaili that Mommy and Daddy had to go out, that Daddy was going to be named the new police chief,” Sullivan chuckled. “Shaili told her, ‘Yeah, but he’s not going to be in charge of you and me, right, Mommy?’
“That tells you something, doesn’t it?”