Chief Chris Hurst: From Paramedic to Police Officer

While some people enter public service to follow in the footsteps of a family member, Chris Hurst and his high school friend were inspired by something different.

“We both liked this show Emergency!,” Hurst explains. The 1970s television drama followed a team of paramedics in Los Angeles in a series that aired long before shows like Third Watch and 9-1-1 hit the airwaves.

While his buddy went on to become a paramedic, the future Lowell Police Chief took a longer route to his current position. He didn’t intend to end up in small town department, but he is now a 28-year veteran of LPD and says it has been a great place to serve.

First a Paramedic, Then a Police Officer

After high school, Hurst joined the National Guard, where he would serve for 20 years. “That gave me money to go back to school,” he notes.

In 1985, he enrolled in Davenport College, and by 1986, he was a full-time paramedic. However, Hurst married in 1987, and that signaled the beginning of the end of his paramedic career.

“You’d work 24-hour shifts, [and] the money wasn’t any good,” he explains. While he liked the job, it wasn’t conducive to married life – or parenthood.

It was his wife who first suggested law enforcement. “I never, ever considered police work,” Hurst admits. But thanks to some GI Bill money, he was able to return to school for a career change. For two years, he remembers, he did nothing but “eat, sleep and study.”

Upon graduation, Hurst’s plan had been to join the Kent County Sheriff’s Department E-Unit which was comprised of officers who were also medical first responders. Unfortunately, that conflicted with his National Guard schedule. It was a disappointing turn of events for Hurst but ended up being to the benefit of Lowell since it is what brought our future police chief here.

Early Years as a Lowell Police Officer

Hurst was hired into the Lowell Police Department by Jim Valentine in 1994. While Valentine would later become the police chief himself, Barry Emmons held the position at the time of Hurst’s arrival.

As a fresh college graduate with no field training experience, Hurst found himself doing a lot of on-the-job training. He rode along with another officer for a week before he was scheduled for his first solo shift.

During that shift, he pulled over a driver who had been drinking, but then realized he wasn’t sure exactly what to do after that. Obviously, he couldn’t let the man drive away by himself. It was nighttime, and “This is before cell phones and computers,” he notes.

Since the driver lived not far away, Hurst drove him home and followed up with Valentine the next day. He expected a reprimand but was instead told that the important thing was that no one had been hurt.

Improvisation came into play with another call early in Hurst’s career. He was notified of a goat making its way down S. Jackson Street. It was wearing a collar and dragging a chain, but no one in the area seemed to be missing it. Since the goat seemed to be walking to a particular house, Hurst tied the chain at the property in the hopes that homeowners would return to find their goat. Later in the day, he drove by and saw the animal was gone so he presumed it was collected by its owners.

Lowell: “Great Place to Work”

Today, technology has changed police work although Hurst still occasionally finds himself called upon to wrangle animals.

“You never know what you’re going to [encounter] now when you come into work,” he says.

While Lowell remains a safe, small town, it isn’t immune to crime. Even traffic stops are different now with police recording all their activities using body cams, and drivers commonly recording interactions on their phones as well.

One thing that hasn’t changed for Hurst is the sense of camaraderie on the force and in the town. “This has always been a great place to work,” he says. “It’s always been exciting, and I’ve made a ton of friends.” Even some people he’s arrested have gone on to become friends.

Looking forward, Hurst is planning to retire in 2025 when he hits his 30 years of service with the city. “I’m excited to retire, but I’m scared to death,” he admits. After spending so much time with other officers – who feel more like family than co-workers – he wonders what life will be like when he’s not part of the club, so to speak.

For now though, Hurst isn’t just a part of the club, he’s the leader of it. And Lowell can look forward to him being at the helm for some time to come.