Hallums, Bernard

Bernard “Bernie” Hallums served his community for over 32 years as a police officer in the Town of Manchester.  In addition to his role as a Patrol Officer, he served as a Field Training Officer for 20 years, a Team Leader of the Capital Region Emergency Service Team (CREST) for 30 years, a School Resource Officer for 7 years, and a DARE Instructor for 3 years.  Bernie was a member of the Department Employee Assistance Program from 2000-2018, the Founder and Coordinator of the Manchester Police Youth Basketball 3 on 3 Summer Youth League from 2002-2018, and the Founder and Director of the Manchester Citizens Police Academy from 1998-2018.  In addition to his various roles within the Manchester Police Department, in 2001 he founded the Blue Angels Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that provides an annual holiday party and gifts for 300 low-income Manchester children and Christmas Day gift delivery to an additional 100 children with assistance from the Manchester Police Department.  Bernie continues to act as its Chief Executive Officer and chairs the organization’s Board of Directors. He is the cohost of Law Enforcement Today under Let Unity. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Xavier High School, Middletown, CT and serves on its Education Committee.

Bernie has received various awards and recognition including: Manchester’s Recognition for Service Post-911 in 2001; Manchester Rotary Officer of the Year 2002; State of CT Elks Club recipient of Enrique Camerana Award and National Runner-up, 2007; the Officer Paul Buchanan Memorial Peer Support Award, 2017;  as well as eleven Manchester Police Department Meritorious Service Awards including three for Distinguished Service, two for Life Saving, two for Exceptional Service, and various Chief’s Citations.  Bernie was the “Hometown Hero” featured in The Hartford Courant in November of 2017, and served as Honorary Marshal for the Manchester Irish American Society in the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade that same year. 

A practical approach speaker, Bernie trains in the area of Fair and Impartial Policing and Cultural Diversity.  His lectures are brought to life using his 32 years of life and police experience and knowledge.  Upon retirement from the Manchester Police Department a spokesperson from the agency said “he closed out his career…officially retiring after over 32 years of service. Through those years, Officer Bernie Hallums consistently showed the residents of the Town of Manchester what community policing was all about.”