Boudreau 'deeply honored' to be named deputy chief in his own hometown

Rochester Police Capt. Gary Boudreau ... soon-to-be deputy chief (Rochester Police photo)

ROCHESTER - For most people New Year's Day is a day for relaxing in front of a television set watching college football after a night of celebration.

But for Gary Boudreau it will be much more than that as the Rochester native and Spaulding graduate on Jan. 1 will begin his duties as Deputy Chief of the Rochester Police Department.

The announcement of Boudreau's promotion came earlier this month as Chief Michael Allen announced his retirement and Deputy Chief Paul Toussaint was named to replace him. Boudreau, currently a captain and the department's public information officer, was then promoted to the rank of deputy chief.

Boudreau, who's been with the department since 1997, said on Monday he was especially honored and humbled to earn the rank on the police department that serves the town he grew up in.

"I'm extremely happy and very honored to be in this position and have this opportunity to help lead the department and to work with Chief Toussaint," Boudreau said.

It was almost 20 years ago that Boudreau, who graduated from Spaulding High in 1991, first joined the department as a patrol officer. He later became a school resource officer at Rochester Middle School and a detective, processing crime scene evidence.

Then in 2007 he was promoted to sergeant and later to lieutenant before becoming a captain in 2013. The last two years he has also been the public voice of the department, speaking often with television and newspaper crime reporters along with his many other duties.

Boudreau in the past has also helped run the department's Citizen's Police Academy, a course designed to explain police work to regular community members; and been a member of the Rochester SWAT team.

But it's clear this new role as deputy chief is one of which he is especially proud.

"To be in Rochester, to be able to take on this role in the community you grew up in, it's exciting and an honor," he said.