October 4th 2021 – Alex Cardella
I am so happy to hear that my friend and mentor Mac Nally has been selected as the next Chief of Police in Berlin, CT. I first met Matt about 17 years ago when he was a Sergeant and I joined the Danbury Police Cadets. I spent more than seven years involved with the program, learning from him, Dave, Johnny, Steve, Amity, Pete, Bern, Dan, Kevin, and the rest of the team. He (and the entire McNally clan) have been like family to me.
These days, lots of “leaders” talk about the need for police to better engage with the community, especially young people. Most of that is just talk with no actual effort put behind it. For the last THIRTY ONE of his 37 years on the job, Matt hasn’t been talking about it, he’s been doing it. HUNDREDS (possibly thousands?) of young people in Western Connecticut have come through the Danbury Police Explorers in the time that Matt has served as the Explorer/Cadet Post Advisor. Kids of all races, religions, backgrounds have been welcome and have risen to positions of leadership within the Post.
Matt has taught these young people about Constitutional policing and the Bill of Rights, how to take pride in their appearance, how to iron your clothes, how to shine your shoes, how to fail, how to be a part of a team, how to lead others, and of course, how to do push ups. But most of all, he taught us how to be a responsible citizen and the value of serving our communities.
Explorers in Danbury have located lost hikers, resuscitated drowning victims, escorted fallen Police Officers and US Military personnel, and (on more than a few occasions) found crucial evidence that led to the arrest and conviction of homicide suspects. All of this happened under Matt’s leadership, because he wanted to give us the opportunity to experience things that so few other young people get to, in the hopes that it would inspire us to develop a passion for public service.
Many of the young people walked through those doors on a Thursday night on Main Street have gone on to be leaders in public service. Not all of us have gone on to be cops. Some are firefighters, paramedics, members of the US military, nurses, intelligence analysts, I think there’s even a judge out there somewhere, if I recall correctly. But regardless of where we ended up, it would be impossible to say that Matt didn’t help us get there.
Matt can be a tough guy, but I’ve never known him to be anything other than fair. I know for certain that I would not be where I am without Matt and his mentorship. His advice has guided me through countless personal and professional trials.
This is a HUGE loss for the Danbury Police Department, the City of Danbury, and surrounding communities, but I know that Matt has been working towards an opportunity like this for years. Congratulations Chief McNally!
Congratulations from your NERLEEA family!!!
Chief Matthew J. McNally IV will be sworn in to Berlin PD on November 1st 2021 at 1130 hours