In a crowded Kroc Center auditorium at Uphams Corner last Friday (June 6), 13 Boston Police officers surrounded by several hundred of their supporters stood at the ready to accept promotions to sergeant. One of them stood out as historic.
New Sgt. Kerline Desir was the youngest of the group, at 35, but more to the point of the occasion, she became the first Haitian American woman to be sworn in as a superior officer in the Boston Police Department.
It was quite the day for the BPD’s Haitian contingent. Berlino Felix also earned his sergeant’s stripes at the ceremony. Sgt. Eddy Chrispin, himself a Haitian American, took the opportunity to note that there would now be four BPD sergeants of Haitian origin, the fourth being Jean Jean-Louis.
Desir talked about the historic aspects of her promotion after the ceremony:
“When you try to reach these goals and accomplish these goals, you don’t think about that,” she said “And so, knowing that I am the first female Haitian supervisor, it just shows that this department is getting so much more diverse; that women of all different backgrounds are getting more opportunities and are becoming leaders in this department. I am grateful to be a leader to those young girls … and I hope to continue to make them proud.”
She added that her new position says something to the community around her.
“I think representation is huge and I think the community is very proud,” she said. “They love to see us being positively represented. They love to see us in leadership roles. And so, I think the Haitian community is praying for me…and I’m just grateful to have them behind my back.”
The ceremony featured remarks from Mayor Wu and Police Commissioner Michael Cox, both of whom noted how tough policing is these days, while stressing the pressure on sergeants on the streets.
“Sergeants are in the most important supervisor positions in the Boston Police Department,” said Cox, noting that they are responsible for correcting errors, and doling out discipline. “The number one reason why is that you are dedicated to patrolmen and detectives and their work on a daily basis. You need to make sure to support them daily to make sure they are in the right headspace to do their job.”
Desir grew up in Boston’s Roslindale neighborhood and attended Boston Public Schools, graduating from the former West Roxbury High School and getting a degree in criminal justice from Mass Bay Community College. After serving for two years as a corrections officer in the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, she moved to the BPD. After a stint in East Boston, she was assigned to the B-3 District based in Mattapan.
Many in the neighborhoods became familiar with Desir in her later role in the Community Engagement Unit attending community meetings and events. As of late, she has been on the dignitary protection team out of headquarters.
Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, Sgt. Kerline Desir, and Dep. Supt. Nora Baston. Seth Daniel photo
For all that, her mindset for policing is rooted in community, she said, going back to her days as a teen-ager in Roslindale, where well-known Officer Elvis Garcia – of District E-5 – often guided her and other young people to productive pathways. Garcia was known for working with young people in the Police Activities League (PAL) basketball and a flag football leagues.
“Elvis was really like a community hero,” she recalled.
“And so, I kind of wanted to follow his footsteps,” she said. “ I remember times when I was younger and I used to get in trouble and I would call Elvis and he’s like, Kerline, what did you do?…And he used to just coach me and guide me through it. And I know going onto this process, he’s really someone that I leaned on and really helped guide me.”
She said officers like Garcia, Deputy Supt. Nora Batson, and Officer Cynthia Brewington have helped her develop a style that is as much about community as it is about law enforcement.
“I think that you have so many experiences on this job, both good and bad, that open your eyes,” she said. “But the mission is to help the community.”
In her free time, Desir runs an arts program for young people that pre-dates her work in law enforcement, she added.
Others promoted to sergeants positions on Friday were Kenisha Benjamin, Peter Cabrera, Donald Caisey, Francis Ciampa, Matthew Conley, Felix, Patrick Foley, Vance Mills, Veritta Pitts, Eric Schmidt, Lisa Venus, and Matthew Wyman. Many of the officers had more than 20 or 30 years of experience.
But a great deal of the energy in the capacity crowd came from Haitian Americans happy to see Desir and Felix promoted to supervisory roles. After the ceremony, a visitor in the audience broke out a Haitian flag and a large group – with Desir and Felix in the middle – gathered around the banner in celebration.
“As supervisors, you’re really the people that the newest officers a lot of times are looking up to,” Desir said. “So absolutely, I think it’s great that we have more women in supervisory roles.”
Mayor Wu and BPD Commissioner Michael Cox, at left and right, with Sgt. Kerline Desir and family members. Seth Daniel photo
