The Police Pipes & Drums of Worcester, Massachusetts

Established in 1996

    After several years of on and off discussions by various members of the Worcester Police Department regarding the forming of a police band, the first steps were taken by Sean Lovely and Kevin Mack in 1995.  Up until then a lot of people had talked about starting a band, but nothing ever came of it.  That year, Sean and Kevin began searching for a bagpipe instructor.  Our plan was to announce that we were taking lessons and anyone else was welcome to join us.  We thought that once someone actually took some first steps, others would follow. 

    The bands first instructor was Lewis K. Martin of Auburn, Ma.  Lewis is a native of Dundee, Scotland and has competed in the world championships with a number of bands including the only U.S. Band to do so; The Worcester Kiltie Band.  Present at our first lesson was Sean Lovely, Dan Donoghue, Mike Loverin and Kevin Mack.  We lost Loverin and Donoghue along the way, but they came back a few years later.

    Sean and Kevin debuted at the Emerald Society Party after the St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1997 along with the instructor.  They continued to play funerals and ceremonies over the next year and were joined by four new pipers Paul Lukas Gary Kleiner Dan Donoghue and Kevin Krusas in time for the St. Patrick's Day party in 1998.  The group began referring to themselves as the Worcester Police Pipes and Drums although they still had neither drums nor drummers.  A campaign was begun to recruit drummers in the spring of 1998 and saw little success at first.  Eventually permission was obtained to stuff pay check envelopes with fliers to recruit drummers which, at first, got no responses.  A  meeting was held and the decision was made to begin recruiting officers from outside of the Worcester Police Department.  There had already been numerous inquiries from non-Worcester Officers who were members of the Greater Worcester Police Emerald Society.

    It was announced at the November 1998 Emerald Society meeting that the band would begin accepting non-Worcester Officers and was particularly looking for drummers.  Immediately three new people came forward that wanted to begin learning to play the bagpipes.  Frustration was really beginning to mount when in June of 1999 two things happened that caused the band's luck to begin to turn.  Kevin Mack was in the Worcester PD elevator with Ed O'Connell, a veteran vice squad officer who had just returned to work after knee surgery.  Eddie asked about the band and Kevin responded that a drum corps was needed.  The next words from Eddies mouth were "I'll do it"

    The other thing that happened was that Mr. Francis Carroll of the Worcester Small Business Service Bureau sent a letter along with a donation of $1000.00 at the suggestion of his brother who is a Sgt in Los Angeles County and saw the band play at the Emerald Society Party.  The money was used to buy t-shirts which sold so well that the band was able to purchase brand new set of Premiere drums; 4 snares, two tenors and a bass.

    Ed O'Connell found 6 more drummers, Drum Instructors Mike Heningham and Matt Hamilton began working with the drummers, and in 2000 the band appeared in the Worcester St. Patrick's Day Parade for the first time with 9 pipers and 7 drummers.  As a multi-agency organization a decision was made to change the name from Worcester Police Pipes & Drums to Police Pipes & Drums of Worcester, Massachusetts.  The members wanted to retain Worcester in the name so that people would know where we came from, but felt that the bands identity should focus on the fact that the members are police officers first and foremost, and secondly that they are a band;  bound together by pride and commitment to both each other and the organizations mission.

    In 2002, 2003 and 2006, the band appeared in Washington DC at the National Police Officer's Memorial Pipe Band March hosted by the National Conference of Law Enforcement Emerald Societies.  We also performed, by invitation, in New York City in 2002 at the one year anniversary memorial service for officers killed on September 11, 2001.

    At its largest, the band boasted 12 pipers 9 drummers and a 5 member color guard and a drum major.  2006 saw the retirement of Ed O'Connel and Bill Benedict , as well as several members that have left due to personal reasons.  Today the band includes 7 pipers and seven drummers, but has again begun to grow.  Instructor Lewis Martin has retired and the position was recently filled by Joe Lennerton of Leicester, Ma. The band continues to open its doors to any full-time police officer in the Worcester Ma area and currently boasts membership from the following Massachusetts police departments:

Worcester, Auburn, Spencer, Ashburnham, Framingham, Milford as well as the Worcester branch of the FBI, and the Central Mass branch of the Secret Service

    The band continues to perform throughout the year both locally and on various road trips.  We maintain our commitment to professionalism,  to servicing our regional law enforcement community, and to have fun doing it.