Apex Protective Solutions

09/28/2026

The New Bedford Police Union is once again announcing the departure of another experienced officer from the New Bedford Police Department.

Officer Andy Pereira, a veteran member of the New Bedford Police Union, will be leaving the department to continue his law enforcement career with the Fairhaven Police Department.

Officer Pereira’s departure is a significant loss for the citizens of New Bedford. His experience, knowledge, and years of service cannot simply be replaced by hiring a new officer.

At some point, the continued loss of experienced police officers demands accountability from City Hall.

Mayor Jon Mitchell has been the chief executive of this city throughout this ongoing retention problem. The Union believes his administration has failed to adequately address the conditions that continue to drive experienced officers to seek careers in surrounding communities. Every departure means New Bedford loses training, experience, institutional knowledge, and an officer who has already invested years serving this community.

Just this week, Mayor Mitchell publicly criticized ICE for failing to notify the New Bedford Police Department of its operations, stating that doing so was “putting at risk police officers who might arrive on scene.”

Mayor Mitchell, if placing New Bedford police officers at risk is truly a concern, then the Union believes it is time to address what is happening within your own administration.

Continuing to lose experienced officers while staffing levels decline creates its own public-safety concerns for the officers who remain and the citizens they are expected to protect. The Union has repeatedly raised concerns about staffing and retention, yet officers continue to leave.

It is easy to demand accountability from another government agency. Our members are asking when that same level of accountability will be applied here at home.

How many more experienced officers does New Bedford have to lose before retaining its police officers becomes a genuine priority?

Officer Pereira has served the citizens of New Bedford with dedication, and we thank him for his years of service. We wish Andy and his family nothing but success as he begins the next chapter of his law enforcement career with the Fairhaven Police Department.

The New Bedford Police Union will continue speaking publicly about the staffing and retention challenges facing this department and advocating for the officers who remain here serving the citizens of New Bedford.

09/02/2026

The New Bedford Police Union would like to wish Officer Johangel Lorenzo the very best as he resigns from the New Bedford Police Department and continues his law enforcement career with another department.

Officer Lorenzo served the New Bedford Police Department for approximately 11 months. We thank him for his service and wish him safety and success as he moves forward in his law enforcement career.

But his departure raises a question that Mayor Jon Mitchell and his administration can no longer continue to dismiss.

How many police officers does New Bedford have to lose before City Hall admits we have a serious retention problem?

We already know what the response will be. The Mayor may call this another “union tactic.” He may tell the public that police recruitment and retention are problems everywhere.

That explanation is becoming increasingly difficult to accept.

If this is simply “happening everywhere,” then show the taxpayers the numbers. How many comparable Massachusetts police departments have watched this many officers leave for surrounding departments? How many communities are spending taxpayer dollars recruiting, hiring, equipping, training, and developing officers only to watch those officers take that investment to neighboring cities and towns?

New Bedford taxpayers deserve that answer.

Officer Lorenzo was with NBPD for approximately 11 months. Think about that. The City invested the time and resources necessary to recruit him, conduct a background investigation, process his hiring, train and equip him, provide academy and field training, and develop him into a New Bedford police officer.

Now another department gets the benefit of that investment.

And New Bedford gets to start over.

Recruit another candidate. Conduct another background investigation. Send another officer through training. Equip another officer. Assign experienced officers to train that person. Spend more taxpayer money.

Then hope that officer stays.

That is not a sustainable personnel strategy.

Mayor Mitchell can criticize the Union for pointing it out, but attacking the messenger doesn’t solve the problem. Calling it a “union tactic” doesn’t put officers back on the streets. Saying retention problems exist elsewhere doesn’t explain why New Bedford continues losing officers to surrounding communities.

The Union isn’t making these officers leave.

The question City Hall should be asking is why they don’t want to stay.

For too long, New Bedford has invested in officers only to watch surrounding communities benefit from that investment. We should be building careers here not training officers for other departments.

Recruitment announcements and academy graduations make for good headlines. But those numbers mean very little if officers continue walking out the door.

Mayor Mitchell, recruitment without retention is a revolving door and New Bedford taxpayers are paying for every turn.

This isn’t about creating a political narrative. It’s about acknowledging the reality facing this department and doing something about it.

Instead of dismissing the concerns of the men and women actually doing this job, City Hall should be working with them to answer the most important question:

What are surrounding communities offering that New Bedford is not?

Our officers deserve that conversation.

Our residents deserve that conversation.

And the taxpayers funding this revolving door deserve it too.

The New Bedford Police Union again thanks Officer Johangel Lorenzo for his service to our city. We wish him safety, success, and nothing but the best as he continues his law enforcement career.

08/28/2026

The New Bedford Police Union would like to thank Officer Leira Vazquez-Berrocales for her service to the City of New Bedford and its residents.

Officer Vazquez-Berrocales was sworn in as a New Bedford Police Officer on March 27, 2026, and will now be continuing her law enforcement career with the Fairhaven Police Department. We thank her for her service and wish her nothing but success and the very best in the next chapter of her career.

Unfortunately, another officer leaving our department should not simply be viewed as another personnel change. It should be viewed as another warning.

New Bedford cannot continue to be a training ground and stepping stone for officers who ultimately leave for surrounding communities offering greater stability and a stronger commitment to retaining their police officers. Recruiting officers is only half the battle. If we cannot retain them, we will continue investing time, training, and resources into officers who take that experience elsewhere.

We strongly encourage our City Councilors to continue asking the difficult questions and pushing for meaningful action. More has to be done to make the New Bedford Police Department a place where officers want to build their careers not simply a place to start them.

At some point, City Hall and particularly the Mayor’s Office must recognize that retention is not solved with talking points. If experienced officers and even newly hired officers continue choosing other communities, perhaps the problem is not the officers leaving, but what the City is giving them to stay for.

New Bedford deserves a police department that can recruit, retain, and invest in quality officers for the long term. Our officers deserve a City that demonstrates through its actions not just its words that their service is valued.

We wish Officer Vazquez-Berrocales the very best with the Fairhaven Police Department and thank her for her service to New Bedford.

08/22/2026

The New Bedford Police Union would like to thank Officer Jacob Days, Officer Jonathan Andrews, Officer Nathan Pimentel, Officer Jenny Roman, and Officer Al Harrell for their service and dedication to the City of New Bedford and its residents.

Officer Days will be continuing his law enforcement career with the Westport Police Department, Officer Andrews with the Fairhaven Police Department, Officer Pimentel will be moving on to a career with Massachusetts Parole, Officer Roman will be continuing her law enforcement career in San Antonio, Texas, and Officer Harrell has continued his law enforcement career with the Carver Police Department.

We thank each of these officers for their commitment, professionalism, and the service they provided during their time with the New Bedford Police Department. We wish them and their families nothing but success and the very best in the next chapter of their careers.

Unfortunately, their departures also highlight a growing and serious concern for our department and our community. New Bedford police officers have now been working for more than two years without a contract. We anticipate that additional officers will continue to seek opportunities with other departments and agencies that offer greater stability, competitive compensation, and a demonstrated commitment to their officers and to public safety.

A significant number of New Bedford police officers have already submitted interest applications to other law enforcement agencies. This should be a serious warning to the City. Our officers are looking at departments and communities that have demonstrated that they value public safety, invest in their police officers, and make the retention of experienced personnel a priority.

Every officer who leaves represents years of training, experience, knowledge, and an investment that the City of New Bedford loses. Recruiting new officers is important, but retaining the dedicated and experienced officers already serving this city must be an equal priority.

Our members continue to report to work every day and provide professional police services to the people of New Bedford despite the continued uncertainty surrounding their contract. More than two years without a contract is simply too long. Our officers deserve a fair and competitive agreement that recognizes the work they do, keeps New Bedford competitive with surrounding communities, and gives experienced officers a reason to remain here.

Again, we sincerely thank Officers Days, Andrews, Pimentel, Roman, and Harrell for their service to our city. We wish all five nothing but the best of luck and continued success in their careers.

08/19/2026

We’re excited to be hosting an EDC Course this weekend. If you don’t wear your range belt when your out with your family, come get some practical reps with our guest instructor, Rich Withington from G***k Training.

https://www.apexprotectivesolutions.net/events

08/10/2026

LOW PROFILE CARRY COURSE
August 22-23. 0800-1600

https://www.apexprotectivesolutions.net/event-details/low-profile-carry-course-le-only

07/27/2026

07/09/2026