Daniel Linskey, former Boston Police Chief with 28 years in law enforcement and a Marine veteran, shares gripping insights from his leadership during the Boston Marathon bombing. He discusses the evolution of targeted violence and the necessity of meticulous training for first responders. Linskey reflects on the urgency of decision-making amidst chaos and the importance of teamwork over ego. Additionally, he reveals the emotional toll on first responders and emphasizes the need for community resilience and support in the wake of tragedy.
01:49:12
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Linskey's Marine Corps Journey
Daniel Linskey joined the Marines following his grandfather's advice.
He aimed to become a pilot but a torn ligament ended his flight school dreams.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Joining the Boston Police
Linskey took the police exam for practice and scored well, leading to an unexpected job offer.
At 20, he became a Boston police officer, able to seize alcohol but not drink it.
question_answer ANECDOTE
First Day on the Job
Linskey recounts humorous mishaps on his first day as a police officer, like accidentally burglarizing a locker.
He learned from a senior officer to avoid creating unnecessary paperwork.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Targeted violence, domestic terrorism and international terrorism are changing. In the past, America has been the victim of large scale coordinated attacks. Today, acts of mass violence are as simple as cars, fireworks and household items.
On April 15, 2013 two terrorists blew up homemade bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Three innocent people were killed. Hundreds were injured. Boston Police Chief Daniel Linskey immediately found himself in charge of a mass casualty event and a multijurisdictional manhunt through the streets of Boston.
Chief Linskey joined Fran Racioppi to share how he overcame fear, panic and the realization that in an instant the entire city was looking to him for guidance and direction. He shares how preparation and training between law enforcement and first responders in the years leading up to the attack was critical in their response. And he explains why in emergency response, there’s no place for egos or credit, just action and results.
Join our conversation from the shores of Plymouth Harbor. Follow us on social media, read the full episode on our website, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch Chief Linskey talk about Team Maureen, an organization he founded to honor his late cousin focused on preventing cancer in our Veterans.
HIGHLIGHTS
0:00 Introduction
3:32 Becoming a US Marine
8:47 Joining Boston Police
15:05 Public Perception of Law Enforcement Today
25:12 Are we prosecuting enough crime?
31:07 Immigration policy effect on policing
35:47 You’re It at the Boston Marathon
49:05 The bombing
1:00:20 Standing guard over the victims
1:19:37 The Manhunt
1:35:29 Boston Strong
1:39:04 Mental Health Mechanisms
1:43:00 Biggest Lesson
1:45:44 Thank you
QUOTES
“If you leave a place the same way you found it, you’re not leading.”
"If you want to learn leadership, lead.”
“Cops hate change. The other thing cops hate is the way things are.”
“If you think there’s a problem with policing and leadership…ok…join and see what you can do from the inside.”
“I would like to see any politician who is making policy on law enforcement to make them have to do a two week basic in-service class in law enforcement.”
“If people think there’s no accountability for assaulting a police officer…they’re gonna do it.”
“You can’t just say you’re training. You can’t just pretend you’re training. You can’t just say bang bang you’re dead.”
“Leadership is putting your team to the task.”
“He essentially said “Tag, you’re it boss. And I didn’t want to be it.”
“Along with the devastation was a wave of shame and guilt that washed over me.”
“I froze. I’m a United States Marine. I’m a cop. I’m the chief. I froze. I want to go home. I want to go home with my kids.”
“In crisis there are 5,000 things you got to do, but you need to focus on the five most important right now.”
“If you tell the troops what you want them to do and why they should do it, they’ll do it.”
The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of Green Beret Foundation, supporting US Army Special Forces of all generations.
The Jedburgh Podcast