NYPD Chief of Detectives Bobby Boyce will usher in his imminent retirement with an Irish honor.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Bobby Boyce will blow the whistle to officially start the 257th annual New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade at 11 a.m., at 44th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Boyce will be 63 years old March 18, the mandatory retirement age for uniformed NYPD members. He had planned to make March 17 his last day on the job after a career that spanned 35 years.
“I was going to march up Fifth Avenue as I done for so many years and then just keep marching off into the sunset,” said Boyce, who recalls missing only one parade in 35 years because he was working a case.
NYC News NYPD Detectives Chief Boyce to Blow St. Pat's Parade Whistle https://t.co/r8jnv129r1 pic.twitter.com/yW9PteCcRT
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“But they asked me to stay around for a few more weeks to help with the transition.”
“Chief Bobby Boyce, who leads the finest detective force in the world and who has played an integral role in making New York the safest big city in the nation, is more than worthy of this honor,” said John Lahey, chairman of the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade Board of Directors. “In fact, we are honored that this great leader – this great cop – will start us on our way.”
“With my long-term affiliation with NYPD’s Emerald Society and Holy Name Society, New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade has always been significant for me. Now, in my home stretch as Chief of Detectives, this year’s parade will be particularly momentous for me, both personally and professionally, and it’s an absolute honor to start the parade,” Boyce said.
He will blow the same whistle he used when he started on patrol in 1983.
Boyce and his wife of 34 years, Kathleen, have two children, Robert Jr. and Caitlin, as well as a son-in-law, Ryan. They live in Bethpage, Long Island.
Read more: Shirtless St. Patrick’s Day ad deemed too hot by Irish parade organizers
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