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{{short description|American policeman and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Francis Roache
| name = Francis Roache
| image = Francis Roache (9501945479).jpg
| image = Francis Roache (9501945479).jpg
| alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption = Roache during his tenure as Commissioner of the Boston Police Department
| caption = Roache as Commissioner of Police of Boston
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|08|03}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|08|03}}
| birth_place = [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Boston]], Massachusetts, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|12|17|1936|08|03}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|12|17|1936|08|03}}
| death_place =
| death_place =
| other_names = Mickey Roache
| occupation = Policeman and politician
| occupation = Policeman and politician
⚫
| office3 = [[Boston Police Commissioner]]
| years_active = 1968–2015
| appointed3 = [[Raymond Flynn]]
⚫
| office1 = [[Boston Police Department|Boston Police Commissioner]]
| term_start3= March 13, 1985
| term_end3 = June 30, 1993
| predecessor3= [[Joseph M. Jordan]]
| successor3 = [[William Bratton]]
|office2=Member of the [[Boston City Council]]
|office2=Member of the [[Boston City Council]]
| term_start2 = 1996
| term_end2 = 2002
| predecessor2 = [[John A. Nucci]]
| successor2 = [[Felix D. Arroyo]]
|office1=Suffolk County Register of Deeds
| term_start1= 2002
| term_end1 = December 31, 2015
| predecessor1= Paul R. Tierney
| successor1 = [[Stephen J. Murphy]]
| alma_mater = [[Boston State College]]
| alma_mater = [[Boston State College]]
| spouse = Barbara Campers
| spouse = Barbara Campers
| children = 5
| children = Barbara, Donna, Paula, Michael, and Lori
|branch={{Marines|United States}}
|branch={{Marines|United States}}
}}
}}


'''Francis Michael Roache'''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26323525/francis_m_roachelaidback_yet/ |title=Francis M. Roache—laid-back, yet 'tough' |first=Ed |last=Quill |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=1 |date=February 1, 1985 |accessdate=December 18, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> (August 3, 1936 – December 17, 2018) was an American policeman and politician who served as [[Boston Police Department|Boston Police]] Commissioner from 1985 to 1993, was a member of the [[Boston City Council]] from 1996 to 2002, and was [[Suffolk County, Massachusetts|Suffolk County]] Register of Deeds from 2002 to 2015.
'''Francis Michael Roache'''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26323525/francis_m_roachelaidback_yet/ |title=Francis M. Roache—laid-back, yet 'tough' |first=Ed |last=Quill |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=1 |date=February 1, 1985 |accessdate=December 18, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> (August 3, 1936 – December 17, 2018) was an American [[law enforcement officer]] and politician who served as the [[Boston Police Department|Boston Police]] Commissioner from 1985 to 1993. He was also a member of the [[Boston City Council]] from 1996 to 2002 and was [[Suffolk County, Massachusetts|Suffolk County]] Register of Deeds from 2002 to 2015.


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Roache was born in [[South Boston]], and was a 1954 graduate of [[South Boston High School]].<ref name=GlobeDec17>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/12/17/boston-police-department-mourns-passing-former-commissioner-francis-mickey-roache/0xPBmPTT140pSkZjKzzgDK/story.html |url-access=limited |title=Former Boston Police Commissioner Francis ‘Mickey’ Roache dies at 82 |first=Milton J. |last=Valencia |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=December 17, 2018 |accessdate=December 17, 2018}}</ref> He then served in the [[United States Marine Corps]] until 1959,<ref name=GlobeDec17/> and worked for [[Sears|Sears Roebuck]] in [[Fenway–Kenmore|The Fenway]] neighborhood of Boston for 10 years,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26323673/francis_m_roachelaidback_yet/ |title=Francis M. Roache—laid-back, yet 'tough' (cont'd) |first=Ed |last=Quill |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=2 |date=February 1, 1985 |accessdate=December 18, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> while attending [[Boston State College]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26323850/what_is_boston_police_commission/ |title=What is Boston Police Commission Francis M. Roache's background? |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=35 |date=December 27, 1987 |accessdate=December 18, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>
Roache was born in [[South Boston]], and was a 1954 graduate of [[South Boston High School]].<ref name=GlobeDec17>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/12/17/boston-police-department-mourns-passing-former-commissioner-francis-mickey-roache/0xPBmPTT140pSkZjKzzgDK/story.html |url-access=limited |title=Former Boston Police Commissioner Francis 'Mickey' Roache dies at 82 |first=Milton J. |last=Valencia |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=December 17, 2018 |accessdate=December 17, 2018}}</ref> He then served in the [[United States Marine Corps]] until 1959,<ref name=GlobeDec17/> and worked for [[Sears|Sears Roebuck]] in [[Fenway–Kenmore|The Fenway]] neighborhood of Boston for 10 years,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26323673/francis_m_roachelaidback_yet/ |title=Francis M. Roache—laid-back, yet 'tough' (cont'd) |first=Ed |last=Quill |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=2 |date=February 1, 1985 |accessdate=December 18, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> while attending [[Boston State College]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26323850/what_is_boston_police_commission/ |title=What is Boston Police Commission Francis M. Roache's background? |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=35 |date=December 27, 1987 |accessdate=December 18, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
{{Multiple image
{{Multiple image
|align=center
|image1=Mayor Raymond L. Flynn swearing in Police Commissioner Francis "Mickey" Roache (9519688286).jpg
|image1=Mayor Raymond L. Flynn swearing in Police Commissioner Francis "Mickey" Roache (9519688286).jpg
|caption1=Roache (left) being sworn-in as Police Commissioner by Boston Mayor [[Raymond Flynn]] in 1985
|caption1=Roache (left) being sworn in as Police Commissioner by Boston Mayor [[Raymond Flynn]] in 1985
|image2=Two unidentified officers, Police Commissioner Francis "Mickey" Roache, and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn (9519690376).jpg
|image2=Two unidentified officers, Police Commissioner Francis "Mickey" Roache, and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn (9519690376).jpg
|caption2=From left: two policemen, Roache, Raymond Flynn
|caption2=From left: two policemen, Roache, Raymond Flynn
|image3=Police Commissioner Francis "Mickey" Roache at podium (9516902077).jpg
|image3=Police Commissioner Francis "Mickey" Roache at podium (9516902077).jpg
|caption3=Roache giving a speech}}
|caption3=Roache giving a speech}}

===Law enforcement===
===Law enforcement===
Roache joined the [[Boston Police Department]] (BPD) in 1968.<ref name=HeraldDec17/> On February 1, 1985, as a lieutenant who headed the BPD's Community Disorders Unit,<ref>{{cite news|title=Blacks Return To Boston Project Decade After Uproar|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6UVPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GgMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6816,5019898|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=April 15, 1984}}</ref> Roache was appointed acting Police Commissioner.<ref>{{cite news|title=3 killed, 3 wounded in Boston violence|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Cs48AAAAIBAJ&sjid=9y0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4900,1280036|accessdate=8 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=February 4, 1985}}</ref> On March 13, he was sworn in as permanent Commissioner by his lifelong friend, [[Mayor of Boston]] [[Raymond Flynn]].<ref name="Scharfenberg" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Quill|first=Ed|title=Roache to be Sworn in Today as Permanent Commissioner|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/661884151.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=8 June 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=March 13, 1985}}</ref>
Roache joined the [[Boston Police Department]] (BPD) in 1968.<ref name=HeraldDec17/> On February 1, 1985, as a lieutenant who headed the BPD's Community Disorders Unit,<ref>{{cite news|title=Blacks Return To Boston Project Decade After Uproar|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6UVPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GgMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6816,5019898|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=April 15, 1984}}</ref> Roache was appointed acting Police Commissioner.<ref>{{cite news|title=3 killed, 3 wounded in Boston violence|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Cs48AAAAIBAJ&sjid=9y0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4900,1280036|accessdate=8 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=February 4, 1985}}</ref> On March 13, he was sworn in as permanent Commissioner by his lifelong friend, [[Mayor of Boston]] [[Raymond Flynn]].<ref name="Scharfenberg" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Quill|first=Ed|title=Roache to be Sworn in Today as Permanent Commissioner|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/661884151.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107004639/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/661884151.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2012|accessdate=8 June 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=March 13, 1985}}</ref>


During his tenure as Commissioner, Roache instituted mandatory drug testing for BPD employees and won praise for his efforts to root out corruption in the department.<ref name="Scharfenberg"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Drug testing ordered for all Boston Police|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0wYqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gRIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4869,1511872|accessdate=June 8, 2011|newspaper=Sentinel wire services|date=April 25, 1986}}</ref>
During his tenure as Commissioner, Roache instituted mandatory drug testing for BPD employees and won praise for his efforts to root out corruption in the department.<ref name="Scharfenberg"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Drug testing ordered for all Boston Police|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0wYqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gRIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4869,1511872|accessdate=June 8, 2011|newspaper=Sentinel wire services|date=April 25, 1986}}</ref>
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Roache was Commissioner during the [[Charles Stuart (murderer)|Charles Stuart case]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Outrage follows Boston shootings|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n2dKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yZMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4751,7612753|accessdate=8 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=October 25, 1989}}</ref> The police's mishandling of the case caused African-American leaders to call for Roache's resignation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Racial tensions boil over in Boston over murder|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2_JYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IoYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3062,1338926|accessdate=June 9, 2011|newspaper=United Press International|date=January 6, 1990}}</ref> In December 1990, the [[Massachusetts Attorney General]]'s office released a report which detailed a variety of civil rights violations committed by the BPD. Violations described in the report included random [[frisking]] of minority youth and coercing witnesses to testify in the Stuart case.<ref>{{cite news|title=State faults Boston murder investigation|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xXEjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0mMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2290,2787730|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=December 19, 1990}}</ref>
Roache was Commissioner during the [[Charles Stuart (murderer)|Charles Stuart case]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Outrage follows Boston shootings|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n2dKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yZMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4751,7612753|accessdate=8 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=October 25, 1989}}</ref> The police's mishandling of the case caused African-American leaders to call for Roache's resignation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Racial tensions boil over in Boston over murder|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2_JYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IoYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3062,1338926|accessdate=June 9, 2011|newspaper=United Press International|date=January 6, 1990}}</ref> In December 1990, the [[Massachusetts Attorney General]]'s office released a report which detailed a variety of civil rights violations committed by the BPD. Violations described in the report included random [[frisking]] of minority youth and coercing witnesses to testify in the Stuart case.<ref>{{cite news|title=State faults Boston murder investigation|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xXEjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0mMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2290,2787730|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=December 19, 1990}}</ref>


After several shootings of unarmed victims by police, alleged mismanagement in the Internal Affairs Department, and a report issued by [[United States Attorney]] [[Wayne Budd]] detailing allegations of police misconduct, Mayor Flynn was pressured to fire Roache.<ref>{{cite news|title=For 3rd time, mayor throws hat into ring|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ji1KAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BoYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=912,4786082|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=July 28, 1991}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Channel 4 issues call for Roache's resignation|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/59274968.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=October 10, 1991}}</ref> Flynn refused to fire Roache, which caused critics of the police department to claim that Roache's friendship with the Mayor was the reason he was still Commissioner. During the [[Boston mayoral election, 1991|1991 mayoral election]], candidate Edward J. Doherty promised that if elected, he would fire Roache.<ref>{{cite news|title=Many call for changes in police leadership|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/59261908.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=September 4, 1991|first=Toni|last=Locy|author2=Sean P. Murphy}}</ref> Flynn appointed a commission led by Boston attorney [[James D. St. Clair]] to investigate the BPD. The commission recommended that Flynn fire Roache.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jackson|first=Derrick Z.|title=A call for Flynn to make his legacy|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/58983067.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=January 5, 1992}}</ref> On June 24, 1993, Roache announced his resignation, effective June 30.<ref>{{cite news|title=Police commissioner quits|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wjZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Cz4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=4813,5933387|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=June 25, 1993}}</ref>
After several shootings of unarmed victims by police, alleged mismanagement in the Internal Affairs Department, and a report issued by [[United States Attorney]] [[Wayne Budd]] detailing allegations of police misconduct, Mayor Flynn was pressured to fire Roache.<ref>{{cite news|title=For 3rd time, mayor throws hat into ring|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ji1KAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BoYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=912,4786082|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=July 28, 1991}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Channel 4 issues call for Roache's resignation|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/59274968.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=October 10, 1991}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Flynn refused to fire Roache, which caused critics of the police department to claim that Roache's friendship with the Mayor was the reason he was still Commissioner. During the [[Boston mayoral election, 1991|1991 mayoral election]], candidate Edward J. Doherty promised that if elected, he would fire Roache.<ref>{{cite news|title=Many call for changes in police leadership|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/59261908.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121203031923/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/59261908.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 3, 2012|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=September 4, 1991|first=Toni|last=Locy|author2=Sean P. Murphy}}</ref> Flynn appointed a commission led by Boston attorney [[James D. St. Clair]] to investigate the BPD. The commission recommended that Flynn fire Roache.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jackson|first=Derrick Z.|title=A call for Flynn to make his legacy|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/58983067.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720214059/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/58983067.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 20, 2012|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=January 5, 1992}}</ref> On June 24, 1993, Roache announced his resignation, effective June 30.<ref>{{cite news|title=Police commissioner quits|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wjZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Cz4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=4813,5933387|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=June 25, 1993}}</ref>


===Politics===
===Politics===
After his resignation, Roache became a candidate for [[Mayor of Boston]] in the [[Boston mayoral election, 1993|1993 election]] to succeed Ray Flynn, who had resigned to become [[United States Ambassador to the Holy See]]. Roache finished in seventh place in the [[primary election|preliminary election]] with 3.01% of the vote.<ref name="Cityofboston">{{cite web|title=Election Results|url=http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections/search/default.asp|work=Cityofboston.gov|publisher=The City of Boston|accessdate=5 June 2011|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907221710/http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections/search/default.asp|archivedate=7 September 2011|df=}}</ref>
After his resignation, Roache became a candidate for [[mayor of Boston]] in the [[Boston mayoral election, 1993|1993 election]] to succeed Ray Flynn, who had resigned to become [[United States Ambassador to the Holy See]]. Roache finished in seventh place in the [[Partisan primary|preliminary election]] with 3.01% of the vote.<ref name="Cityofboston">{{cite web|title=Election Results|url=http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections/search/default.asp|work=Cityofboston.gov|publisher=The City of Boston|accessdate=5 June 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907221710/http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections/search/default.asp|archivedate=7 September 2011}}</ref>


Roache was elected to the Boston City Council in [[Boston City Council election, 1995|November 1995]] as an [[at-large]] councilor.<ref>{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Adrian|title=O'Neil, Roache win big Iannella is 3d, Davis-Mullen 4th in council preliminary|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/21374119.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=September 20, 1995}}</ref> He was reelected in 1997, 1999, and 2001. In 2002, he left the City Council to become Suffolk County Register of Deeds, a position he held until his resignation on December 31, 2015.<ref name="Scharfenberg">{{cite news|last1=Scharfenberg|first1=David|title=Suffolk Register of Deeds Resigns|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/01/06/suffolk-register-deeds-resigns/qo8K0V4d2OPmuQxG7BqDoJ/story.html|accessdate=March 12, 2016|work=The Boston Globe|date=January 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Silberman|first=Ellen J.|title=First Latino to join Hub City Council when Roache assumes Register post|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/186935351.html?dids=186935351:186935351&FMT=ABS&FMTS|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=Boston Herald|date=September 19, 2002}}</ref>
Roache was elected to the Boston City Council in [[Boston City Council election, 1995|November 1995]] as an [[at-large]] councilor.<ref>{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Adrian|title=O'Neil, Roache win big Iannella is 3d, Davis-Mullen 4th in council preliminary|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/21374119.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107004732/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/21374119.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2012|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=September 20, 1995}}</ref> He was reelected in 1997, 1999, and 2001. In 2002, he left the City Council to become Suffolk County registrar of deeds, a position he held until his resignation on December 31, 2015.<ref name="Scharfenberg">{{cite news|last1=Scharfenberg|first1=David|title=Suffolk Register of Deeds Resigns|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/01/06/suffolk-register-deeds-resigns/qo8K0V4d2OPmuQxG7BqDoJ/story.html|accessdate=March 12, 2016|work=The Boston Globe|date=January 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Silberman|first=Ellen J.|title=First Latino to join Hub City Council when Roache assumes Register post|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/186935351.html?dids=186935351:186935351&FMT=ABS&FMTS|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715185230/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/186935351.html?dids=186935351:186935351&FMT=ABS&FMTS|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2012|accessdate=9 June 2011|newspaper=Boston Herald|date=September 19, 2002}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Roache and his wife, Barbara (nee Campers), raised five children: Barbara, Donna, Paula, Michael, and Lori.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26323254/roache_sees_a_city_enjoying_diversity/ |title=Roache Sees a City Enjoying Diversity in '97 |first=Adrian |last=Walker |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=28 |date=July 29, 1993 |accessdate=December 18, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> They resided in [[Quincy, Massachusetts]], and later the [[Dorchester, Boston|Dorchester]] neighborhood of Boston.<ref name=GlobeDec17/> He was a practicing [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], often attending [[Mass (liturgy)|mass]] daily.<ref name=GlobeDec17/> Roache died on December 17, 2018, at the age of 82.<ref name=HeraldDec17>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/17/former-boston-police-commissioner-francis-mickey-roache-dies/ |title=Former Boston Police Commissioner Francis ‘Mickey’ Roache dies |first=Marie |last=Szaniszlo |newspaper=[[Boston Herald]] |date=December 17, 2018 |accessdate=December 17, 2018}}</ref><ref name=GlobeDec17/>
Roache and his wife, Barbara (née Campers), raised five children: Barbara, Donna, Paula, Michael, and Lori.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26323254/roache_sees_a_city_enjoying_diversity/ |title=Roache Sees a City Enjoying Diversity in '97 |first=Adrian |last=Walker |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=28 |date=July 29, 1993 |accessdate=December 18, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> They resided in [[Quincy, Massachusetts]], and later the [[Dorchester, Boston|Dorchester]] neighborhood of Boston.<ref name=GlobeDec17/> He was a practicing [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], often attending [[Mass (liturgy)|mass]] daily.<ref name=GlobeDec17/> Roache died on December 17, 2018, at the age of 82.<ref name=HeraldDec17>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/17/former-boston-police-commissioner-francis-mickey-roache-dies/ |title=Former Boston Police Commissioner Francis 'Mickey' Roache dies |first=Marie |last=Szaniszlo |newspaper=[[Boston Herald]] |date=December 17, 2018 |accessdate=December 17, 2018}}</ref><ref name=GlobeDec17/>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
{{reflist}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*{{cite web |url=http://bpdnews.com/news/2018/12/17/in-memoriam |title=In Memoriam: The Boston Police Department Mourns the Passing of Former Commissioner Francis M. ‘Mickey’ Roache |website=bpdnews.com |date=December 17, 2018 |accessdate=December 17, 2018}}
*{{cite web |url=http://bpdnews.com/news/2018/12/17/in-memoriam |title=In Memoriam: The Boston Police Department Mourns the Passing of Former Commissioner Francis M. 'Mickey' Roache |website=bpdnews.com |date=December 17, 2018 |accessdate=December 17, 2018}}
*{{cite web |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/18/ray-flynn-mickey-ill-see-you-at-the-finish-line/ |title=Ray Flynn remembers his former police commissioner, “Mickey” Roache |first=Raymond |last=Flynn |website=[[Boston Herald]] |date=December 18, 2018 |accessdate=December 18, 2018}}
*{{cite web |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/18/ray-flynn-mickey-ill-see-you-at-the-finish-line/ |title=Ray Flynn remembers his former police commissioner, "Mickey" Roache |first=Raymond |last=Flynn |website=[[Boston Herald]] |date=December 18, 2018 |accessdate=December 18, 2018}}
*{{cite web |url=https://stephenomeara.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/mickey-roache-the-power-of-procedural-justice-legitimacy/ |title=Mickey Roache: The Power of Procedural Justice & Legitimacy |first=Jim |last=Jordan |website=stephenomeara.wordpress.com |date=March 16, 2012 |accessdate=December 18, 2018}}
*{{cite web |url=https://stephenomeara.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/mickey-roache-the-power-of-procedural-justice-legitimacy/ |title=Mickey Roache: The Power of Procedural Justice & Legitimacy |first=Jim |last=Jordan |website=stephenomeara.wordpress.com |date=March 16, 2012 |accessdate=December 18, 2018}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=196356 Roache election results] at ourcampaigns.com
* [https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=196356 Roache election results] at ourcampaigns.com


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Latest revision as of 11:03, 17 October 2024

Francis Roache
Roache as Commissioner of Police of Boston
Suffolk County Register of Deeds
In office
2002 – December 31, 2015
Preceded byPaul R. Tierney
Succeeded byStephen J. Murphy
Member of the Boston City Council
In office
1996–2002
Preceded byJohn A. Nucci
Succeeded byFelix D. Arroyo
Boston Police Commissioner
In office
March 13, 1985 – June 30, 1993
Appointed byRaymond Flynn
Preceded byJoseph M. Jordan
Succeeded byWilliam Bratton
Personal details
Born(1936-08-03)August 3, 1936
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedDecember 17, 2018(2018-12-17) (aged 82)
SpouseBarbara Campers
ChildrenBarbara, Donna, Paula, Michael, and Lori
Alma materBoston State College
OccupationPoliceman and politician
Military service
Branch/service United States Marine Corps

Francis Michael Roache[1] (August 3, 1936 – December 17, 2018) was an American law enforcement officer and politician who served as the Boston Police Commissioner from 1985 to 1993. He was also a member of the Boston City Council from 1996 to 2002 and was Suffolk County Register of Deeds from 2002 to 2015.

Early life and education

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Roache was born in South Boston, and was a 1954 graduate of South Boston High School.[2] He then served in the United States Marine Corps until 1959,[2] and worked for Sears Roebuck in The Fenway neighborhood of Boston for 10 years,[3] while attending Boston State College.[4]

Career

[edit]
Roache (left) being sworn in as Police Commissioner by Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn in 1985
From left: two policemen, Roache, Raymond Flynn
Roache giving a speech

Law enforcement

[edit]

Roache joined the Boston Police Department (BPD) in 1968.[5] On February 1, 1985, as a lieutenant who headed the BPD's Community Disorders Unit,[6] Roache was appointed acting Police Commissioner.[7] On March 13, he was sworn in as permanent Commissioner by his lifelong friend, Mayor of Boston Raymond Flynn.[8][9]

During his tenure as Commissioner, Roache instituted mandatory drug testing for BPD employees and won praise for his efforts to root out corruption in the department.[8][10]

Roache was Commissioner during the Charles Stuart case.[11] The police's mishandling of the case caused African-American leaders to call for Roache's resignation.[12] In December 1990, the Massachusetts Attorney General's office released a report which detailed a variety of civil rights violations committed by the BPD. Violations described in the report included random frisking of minority youth and coercing witnesses to testify in the Stuart case.[13]

After several shootings of unarmed victims by police, alleged mismanagement in the Internal Affairs Department, and a report issued by United States Attorney Wayne Budd detailing allegations of police misconduct, Mayor Flynn was pressured to fire Roache.[14][15] Flynn refused to fire Roache, which caused critics of the police department to claim that Roache's friendship with the Mayor was the reason he was still Commissioner. During the 1991 mayoral election, candidate Edward J. Doherty promised that if elected, he would fire Roache.[16] Flynn appointed a commission led by Boston attorney James D. St. Clair to investigate the BPD. The commission recommended that Flynn fire Roache.[17] On June 24, 1993, Roache announced his resignation, effective June 30.[18]

Politics

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After his resignation, Roache became a candidate for mayor of Boston in the 1993 election to succeed Ray Flynn, who had resigned to become United States Ambassador to the Holy See. Roache finished in seventh place in the preliminary election with 3.01% of the vote.[19]

Roache was elected to the Boston City Council in November 1995 as an at-large councilor.[20] He was reelected in 1997, 1999, and 2001. In 2002, he left the City Council to become Suffolk County registrar of deeds, a position he held until his resignation on December 31, 2015.[8][21]

Personal life

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Roache and his wife, Barbara (née Campers), raised five children: Barbara, Donna, Paula, Michael, and Lori.[22] They resided in Quincy, Massachusetts, and later the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston.[2] He was a practicing Roman Catholic, often attending mass daily.[2] Roache died on December 17, 2018, at the age of 82.[5][2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Quill, Ed (February 1, 1985). "Francis M. Roache—laid-back, yet 'tough'". The Boston Globe. p. 1. Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e Valencia, Milton J. (December 17, 2018). "Former Boston Police Commissioner Francis 'Mickey' Roache dies at 82". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  3. ^ Quill, Ed (February 1, 1985). "Francis M. Roache—laid-back, yet 'tough' (cont'd)". The Boston Globe. p. 2. Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "What is Boston Police Commission Francis M. Roache's background?". The Boston Globe. December 27, 1987. p. 35. Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Szaniszlo, Marie (December 17, 2018). "Former Boston Police Commissioner Francis 'Mickey' Roache dies". Boston Herald. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  6. ^ "Blacks Return To Boston Project Decade After Uproar". Associated Press. April 15, 1984. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  7. ^ "3 killed, 3 wounded in Boston violence". Associated Press. February 4, 1985. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  8. ^ a b c Scharfenberg, David (January 6, 2016). "Suffolk Register of Deeds Resigns". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  9. ^ Quill, Ed (March 13, 1985). "Roache to be Sworn in Today as Permanent Commissioner". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  10. ^ "Drug testing ordered for all Boston Police". Sentinel wire services. April 25, 1986. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  11. ^ "Outrage follows Boston shootings". Associated Press. October 25, 1989. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  12. ^ "Racial tensions boil over in Boston over murder". United Press International. January 6, 1990. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  13. ^ "State faults Boston murder investigation". Associated Press. December 19, 1990. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  14. ^ "For 3rd time, mayor throws hat into ring". Associated Press. July 28, 1991. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  15. ^ "Channel 4 issues call for Roache's resignation". The Boston Globe. October 10, 1991. Retrieved 9 June 2011.[dead link]
  16. ^ Locy, Toni; Sean P. Murphy (September 4, 1991). "Many call for changes in police leadership". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  17. ^ Jackson, Derrick Z. (January 5, 1992). "A call for Flynn to make his legacy". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  18. ^ "Police commissioner quits". Associated Press. June 25, 1993. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  19. ^ "Election Results". Cityofboston.gov. The City of Boston. Archived from the original on 7 September 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  20. ^ Walker, Adrian (September 20, 1995). "O'Neil, Roache win big Iannella is 3d, Davis-Mullen 4th in council preliminary". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  21. ^ Silberman, Ellen J. (September 19, 2002). "First Latino to join Hub City Council when Roache assumes Register post". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  22. ^ Walker, Adrian (July 29, 1993). "Roache Sees a City Enjoying Diversity in '97". The Boston Globe. p. 28. Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via newspapers.com.

Further reading

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[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Francis Roache.
Police appointments
Preceded by Commissioner of the Boston Police Department
1985–1993 		Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by
John A. Nucci
 At-large member of the Boston City Council
1996–2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Paul R. Tierney
 Suffolk County Register of Deeds
2002–2015 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Francis_Roache&oldid=1251666925"