“I get a stomach ache every time I look at it,” Deputy Superintendent Colm Lydon of the City of Boston Police Department said. Lydon was a guest speaker at the Keene State College symposium November 3, where he spoke to students and faculty about the Boston Marathon bombings.
During his talk, Lydon emphasized what it meant to use the commons effectively and said, “We are all connected, we are all in this together, and we are all in this commons which is constantly evolving.”
Airing footage of the Boston Marathon bombings, Lydon verbalized to the audience his views about the video displayed on the projector.
“If it can inform or teach you to better watch your commons, then I will take that stomach ache every time,” he said.
During his presentation, Lydon went on to explain daily operations within the City of Boston Police Department and how they have many more plans and restrictions in place for the Boston Marathon come April 2014 than in previous years.
When asked about what he would like students and faculty to take away from such an event, Lydon responded, “The idea that we are all connected. One small move, either way, can make a big difference in someone’s life. If they do see something, they should say something.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security’s government website, the “If you see something say something” campaign has emphasized, “reporting suspicious activity to the proper local law enforcement authorities.”
After the conclusion of the symposium affair, sophomore Holly Evans stated, “I thought it was very inspiring and really illuminated for me what I thought was media speculation. It gave me a greater sense of what actually happened in Boston that day.”
With the theme of the symposium being “Finding Your Place in The Evolving Commons,” Colm Lydon’s previous experience included being a Boston Police Department Officer for over 30 years, having worked in various positions such as Patrol, Drug Investigations, District Command, Homicide, Hostage Negotiations, and his current appointment to the Command Staff as listed by the KSC website regarding information of the eighth biennial symposium.
Introducing Lydon at the start of the event, Dr. Anne Huot, President of KSC, said Lydon, “is the epitome of humility.”
Dr. Huot stated she is grateful for his service for being able to protect the commons of the great city of Boston.
Justin Yamet can be contacted at jyammet@ksc.keene.edu