# Sergeant takes final ride on police motorcycle



## DodgeRam (May 3, 2006)

LOWELL -- Police Sgt. Russ Taylor has guarded George Herbert Walker Bush, Rudy Giuliani, Barbara Walters and even Dolly Parton. 
Following his retirement from the Police Department yesterday he might be called on to baby-sit his grandchildren but his patrol days are over. 
He took a final ride on his police motorcycle yesterday. 
"He was an immensely talented individual," acting Superintendent Kenneth Lavallee said. "This man is going to be sorely missed." 
Taylor joined the Dracut Police Department in November 1972 and as a sergeant 15 years later walked away to join the Lowell police department as a patrolman. 
"It was a lot more opportunities in Lowell," he said during his good-bye party last night. 
Taylor took all the opportunities the department gave him and rose to sergeant again. At various times he was a patrolman, a member of the vice squad, worked as a detective, ran the community policing precinct at Lowell Housing, was an instructor at the police academy, and ran the department's special 
operations unit. 
"I ran the motorcycles, horses, K-9s, the police boat, the mobile operations command," he said. 
And he was responsible for protecting dignitaries visiting Lowell, Lavallee said. 
"To sum it up he did it all, he did every aspect of law enforcement," Lavallee said. 
About two years ago he took charge of the motorcycle unit for the regional North Eastern Middlesex Law Enforcement Council. 
"We have about 50 guys in it," Taylor said. "We've done the Red Sox, the riots after the Red Sox, the Patriots parades," he said. They also had to guard when members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., showed up in Dracut and Arlington to cheer the deaths of soldiers. 
He did the fun things and the difficult things to contribute to society. 
"As a police officer you get to do a lot of action stuff, like playing cops and robbers and they pay you for it," Taylor said. "The big thing is, I know it sounds corny, you get to make things better." 
Taylor started working for Dracut Police Department the same day his wife Michelle started work for the Dracut School Department. She is a second-grade teacher at the Parker Avenue School and plans to retire in June. "I think it's something he's been planning for a long time," Michelle Taylor said. "He had a wonderful career, he had 35 great years and I think he's ready to enjoy another phase of his life with his grandchildren."


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## GodblessThearmy (Aug 15, 2006)

He kicked ass at EVOC. Enjoy retirement!


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## Inspector (Nov 13, 2006)

He is a great guy and will be missed on the mean streets on Lowell


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