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Joseph Loughlin ’75

Protecting a great city

Most of his busy days, Deputy Chief Joseph Loughlin ’75 responds to crisis. Thankfully, he is a born troubleshooter. A member of the Portland, Maine, police department for the last 25 years, he supervises four departments with roughly 150 people, including a large number of patrol officers. The work is demanding, the hours long. After a full day of work, he can be called in the middle of the night, often more than once. He admits to being dedicated, even when it means overextending himself.

Loughlin, who also ran the SWAT team for many years, calls his job both stimulating and draining. “It can be very negative... Most people have no idea what cops face,” he says. “It’s my faith and values that keep me going. I think the values and beliefs from Saint Joseph’s became part of my foundation.”

During a previous four-year stint in charge of the detective division, he supervised the criminal investigation into the disappearance of a young woman. The case inspired him to write the inside account of dedicated police work that led to solving the case. Finding Amy, the book he co-authored, is available from the University Press New England (www.upne.com).

He talks about how good it feels when people come up to him at the grocery store and say, “Remember you held my hand when I needed it?” or “You took me home to my mom instead of arresting me for trying to kick out the cruiser window.” Loughlin, who is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, serves on the Board of the Center for Grieving Children and has authored numerous articles on police work.

Joseph Loughlin ’75
B.A., Natural Science, M.S. Adult Education
Deputy Chief, Bureau of Operations
Portland Police Department, Portland, Maine

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