Steven Mazzie served with distinction and compassion
Concluding his 32-year career in the Everett Police Department, the last 20 years as chief, Steven Mazzie can look back proudly at his many accomplishments
As he prepares for his final day in office on June 30, Mazzie has been receiving much praise from city officials, including Mayor Carlo DeMaria and Police Capt. Paul Strong, who will succeed Mazzie in the top leadership position in the department.
Mazzie, 56, is also completing his family’s amazing legacy of 98 years of continuous service in the Everett Police Department, a run of excellence that began with his grandfather, Adolph R. Mazzie Sr., who served 39 years in the department. His father, Adolph Mazzie Jr., served 29 years. His oldest brother, Paul Mazzie, served 32 years, followed by his brother, John Mazzie (34 years) and his sister Gina Mazzie (32 years).
It appears the family’s unparalleled record of service in the department will end as his daughter, Gabriella Mazzie, 23, a graduate of Marist College, has just taken an esteemed position as the director of football recruiting operations at Army West Point, having previously worked as recruitment operations coordinator at Western Michigan University. His son, Nick Mazzie, is a superb placekicker at the University of New Hampshire where he is studying to be an engineer. And yes, that is the Nick Mazzie who forever broke the hearts of Everett High fans with a game-winning, last-minute field goal at Everett Memorial Stadium during a 2018 playoff game, stunning the top-seeded Crimson Tide. It was the kick that ended now-Washington Commanders defensive back Mike Sainristil’s high school career in Everett.
A Proud Son of Everett
The son of long-time Everett residents, retired Everett Police officer Adolph R. Mazzie Jr. and Joanne Mazzie, Steven Mazzie grew up on Bell Rock Street in West Everett and to this day loves being known as “an Everett guy.”
“I have great parents, totally supportive,” said Mazzie. “I’m very fortunate to still have them in my life.”
He attended the Lewis Elementary School and Parlin Junior High, while also participating in youth sports organizations such as Everett Little League, Everett Eagles Pop Warner, and Everett Recreation Basketball. He graduated from Pope John XXIII High School in 1985, excelling in football, baseball, and track.
Mazzie attended UMass/Amherst where he majored in Political Science and Criminal Justice. As he waited for his appointment as a police officer, Mazzie earned his Master’s degree from Anna Maria College.
After completing his training at the Massachusetts Police Academy in Needham, he was appointed to the Everett Police Department in 1992, rising quickly through the ranks and becoming chief on January 29, 2003. He currently oversees a department of 123 officers.
A Student of The
Business
Mazzie said he always tried to combine the best of “old school policing with the advancement of technology” in his position as chief.
“But at the end of the day, it’s a people business and getting to help people, you have to get to know people,” said Mazzie. “So I’m a big fan of face-to-face contacts. I like officers being able to get out of the car and get some face time – we call it “walk and talks” – with people, popping into and out of small markets, and into the neighborhoods and playgrounds. That’s how you get to know people and find out if there are any problems or concerns.”
Serving As Chief
Mazzie was originally appointed as chief by former Mayor David Ragucci. He was reappointed by former Mayor John Hanlon and then reappointed multiple times to three-year terms by current Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr.
“Mayor DeMaria has been very supportive of policing,” said Mazzie. “We have a lot in common in terms of the type of things he expects from the police department. He wants us to be professional and responsive to people’s needs. I appreciate that he’s entrusted me with running the department. I return every phone call that comes into my office, and if I’m not returning it, one of my top staff members is returning it. Whether the problem is big or small, we’ll try to address it.”
Mazzie said the department has put an emphasis on crime prevention during his tenure.
“We try to create conditions where we’re preventing crime as opposed to waiting for things to happen,” said Mazzie. “For years, I spent a lot of my personal time going around the city and looking to get streetlights fixed around parks, trees trimmed, graffiti removed, broken windows repaired – the faster you fix it, the fewer repeat problems you’ll have.”
Asked if he would encourage men and women to become police officers today, Mazzie replied, “I would recommend it as a career. I think being an officer is a great job. It’s a noble profession. You can do a lot of good, especially at the local level. No one has more contact with people than a local police officer. If you grow up in the community like I did, you know the community, you know people. You can make an impact on residents. That’ why I’m really proud of our officers. We’re big on community engagement and a lot of it is positive engagement. We’re not waiting around for negative situations to happen. We have a great Junior Police Academy that gets filled up immediately. We’re starting to see the fruits of our labor. Some of the young officers we’re hiring went to the Junior Police Academy. They’re joining our ranks, and it’s great.”
A Positive Impact
Steven Mazzie’s last official day as chief will be June 30.
He said that he and his wife, Stacey, will be going on an extended vacation for the first time and “I’ll be doing some golfing.”
“I’ve been working with Paul Strong on his transition to chief,” said Mazzie. “I’ve known Paul for a long time and he’s a good man. I’m confident in his leadership of the department. I think he’s the right guy at the right time and he will lead the department forward. Paul will do a great job. I’ve also been working with the mayor to ensure that the city doesn’t really miss a beat with this department.”
His day-to-day presence in the Everett Police Department may be ending, but Steven Mazzie’s positive impact on the lives of Everett residents will live on forever.