Over the past month, the Harvard Police Department has sworn in two new officers, Dean Barbera and Hannah Shaw. Barbera comes to the department with prior law enforcement experience, while Shaw graduated from the Boylston Police Academy last June. Each took the oath in front of Town Clerk Rose Miranda, Barbera on Sept. 19 and Shaw on Sept. 29.
Dean Barbera. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Barbera has military background
Dean Barbera grew up in Watertown and then in Waltham. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, signing up when he was 17. After serving for six years, he joined the reserves to go to college. He then worked with the Waltham Police Department for several years, earned a law degree, and passed the bar exam in 2003. But he maintained his military connections, serving in the Army National Guard until 2023, when he retired with the rank of major.
Barbera settled in Westford with his wife and two children, and he established a real estate business there. But in 2016 a chance event revived his interest in police work. He happened to be at a bank in Chelmsford when two men attempted to rob it. Barbera was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, and he intervened. “I chased one guy into the parking lot,” he said, “and he threw away the money.” Both robbers were later arrested by Chelmsford police.
That event “planted the seed” to get back into law enforcement, Barbera said. In 2022 he went to the Cambridge Police Academy. He then briefly joined the Northeastern University Police Department and later the Carlisle Police Department, where he served until he came to Harvard. Barbera is also an ultramarathoner, taking part in races ranging from 50 kilometers to much longer. One recent race in Brookline, New Hampshire, was 100 miles.
Hannah Shaw.
Shaw’s family has tradition of public service
Shaw grew up in Wilton, New Hampshire, where several of her family members served in area fire departments. Her brother followed that tradition of public service, becoming a firefighter. “He’s red, I’m blue—it’s sibling rivalry,” Shaw joked, referring to the colors associated with fire engines and police uniforms.
While her children were young, Shaw worked at home. She was able to work remotely as an accountant for the town of Chelmsford. But she turned to police work when her daughter and stepson were reaching middle school.
For the next couple of months, Shaw will continue doing field training with Harvard officers. “I’m learning the lay of the land” with Officer Fawne Russell and Officer Tim Schaeffer, she said. Eventually, Shaw would like to focus on the problem of domestic violence and on issues that affect children. She noted that Chief James Babu is very encouraging for officers to get additional training in the specialties that interest them.
Somewhat surprisingly, when Shaw finishes her training, she would like to work the night shift, from midnight to 8 a.m. On that schedule, she explained, she can sleep while her children are at school but be able to attend their afterschool sports events, such as softball and basketball games.
