Lt. Bruce Apotheker Retiring From Newton PD After 39 Years

NEWTON, MA — Lt. Bruce Apotheker is retiring after 39 years with the Newton Police Department, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said Thursday,

Apotheker spent the last 17 years as Commander of the Community Service Bureau. At the end of the month, the position will be taken over by 13-year NPD veteran Lt. Amanda Henrickson, who will become the first woman in NPD history to lead a bureau.

Fuller described Apotheker as a “trailblazer” as the first Jewish Bureau Commander in the department and said he is “deeply committed” to Newton, where he lives and raised his family.

"Anyone who knows Bruce has heard his warm, 'Hello friend,' when he sees you,” Fuller said. "He knows Newtonians across every village, and Newtonians know him.”

"I’m grateful to Bruce for his years of dedicated service to our City, and I know Chief John Carmichael joins me in wishing him well in his next chapter,” she added.

Apotheker spent his career as NPD’s department spokesperson, conducting hundreds of television and media interviews, and working on many different human rights issues. He served as the police representative on the Newton Human Rights Commission and as the city's Civil Rights Officer, and headed the bureau responsible for investigating domestic violence, civil rights, and incidents involving juveniles.

As she takes over Community Service Bureau, Henrickson said she is excited to take on the many responsibilities required in her new role. Described by Chief John Carmichael as “an exceptional leader within the department,” Henrickson is deeply involved in Massachusetts Women in Law Enforcement and is an advocate and mentor for other female officers within NPD.

“I’m happy that women in our department are being given the opportunity to serve in different types of leadership positions,” Henrickson said in a statement. "I hope that younger women see and surpass us."