Darryl Owens
Boston Police Department
Boston, MA
"It is my honor to nominate Officer Darryl Owens for the National Life Group Do Good Heroes Award. Few individuals embody the spirit of service, mentorship, and community transformation more profoundly than Officer Owens, whose career with the Boston Police Department and decades of youth engagement have created lasting change across the city of Boston," said Robert Marchewka.
Officer Owens is best known as the founder and longtime director of the Boston Teen Police Academy, one of Boston's most impactful youth–police engagement programs. Established in the late 2000s, the Academy was designed to bridge the gap between Boston's youth and law enforcement through education, physical training, community service, and meaningful daily interaction with police officers. Under his leadership, the Academy has grown into a structured six-week summer program serving dozens of teenagers each year. Participants are not only trained in communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution but are also paid for their work, giving the program both educational value and economic opportunity.
Media outlets (i.e., the Boston Globe), youth development organizations, and community partners have highlighted Officer Owens's leadership in shifting the program's focus toward trust-building, mutual understanding, and positive police–youth relationships. His message has remained consistent across the years: "We need to educate kids on who we are and what we do," and when they leave the Academy, "the police aren't this foreign thing, this enemy thing." His philosophy has shaped an entire generation of young people who now see law enforcement through a lens of respect, humanity, and shared responsibility.
Officer Owens has also emphasized service to the community as a cornerstone of youth leadership. Under his guidance, teens have participated in community improvement projects, including building Little Free Libraries, picnic benches, and garden furniture in partnership with local businesses and nonprofits. These projects give young people tangible pride in improving their neighborhoods, while strengthening relationships between residents and the officers who serve them.
Beyond his work with youth, Officer Owens served as a Use of Force and Defensive Tactics Instructor and a trusted subject-matter expert at the Boston Police Department. Yet his most enduring legacy is not in tactical instruction, but in changing the trajectory of thousands of young lives by investing in their potential, affirming their value, and creating spaces where they feel seen and supported.
At a time when law enforcement–community trust is a national concern, Officer Owens has quietly and steadily built one of the most successful, relationally driven youth–police models in the country. His work has been recognized by community organizations, highlighted in city reports, and celebrated in local partnerships—but it deserves national recognition.
Officer Darryl Owens is not simply a police officer. He is a mentor, a bridge-builder, a community craftsman, and a leader whose "Do Good" impact will echo for decades.
References Boston Globe – Police, teens bond at academy (2012) Norfolk Hardware – Building community one bench at a time (2025) Norfolk Hardware – Community Building Day with the Teen Police Academy Norfolk Hardware – Teen Police Academy Little Free Libraries Boston Police Foundation – Chairman’s Update on Teen Police Academy Dorchester Reporter PDF – Teen Police Academy graduation (2014) Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association – Pax Centurion Summer 2017 (Teen Police Academy) Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association – Pax Centurion Jan/Mar 2016 (Teen Police Academy)