Police Chief Edward Burman, 62, retired from the Wayland Police Department on Dec. 19. Lt. Mark Hebert was sworn in Dec. 22 as acting police chief. He served almost four years of his 32-year career in Wayland. Burman worked for two months in Wayland as a lieutenant (the second in command) when former Police Chief Sean Gibbons was placed on
administrative leave in 2022. Gibbons eventually stepped down after an investigation corroborated sexual harassment allegations, and Burman was faced with the choice: “to act as a placeholder or move up.” He decided to assume the responsibility and was appointed chief.
Ascending through the ranks, Burman previously worked in Ashland for nine years and in Framingham for 15, before starting the Wayland lieutenant job, which was a promotion. Burman’s policing strategy reflected three key themes: transparency, education, and the principle that no call is too small. “We would rather get a call than not get a call,” he said, since crucial minutes can be lost in an emergency.
He also said transparency was essential, stating that Wayland has a tracking system that lists every call, including the type, names of police and residents involved, and the outcome. The report also identified the individual’s race to ensure that there is no racial profiling. Wayland police are required to keep their dash and body cams on when making a call. When an officer activates their blue lights, both the dash cam and body cam are activated.
Burman saw his role as both educating his Wayland officers and residents.
His other goals were replacing the records management system and assisting in the implementation of a new regional call system. The regional call system, which will serve Wayland, Framingham, and Natick, is expected to be fully implemented within two years.
Although the three towns have a mutual agreement to assist each other, each town has its own dispatchers.
To streamline the process and shorten call time, all the dispatchers will be centrally located in Framingham. The state is encouraging towns to regionalize to cut costs and increase efficiency.
Burman, a former member of the Spirit Council, was instrumental in creating the Wayland Freedom Team, a community-based organization formed to promote unity, foster dialogue, and provide support in response to incidents of hate and bias. The team offers a safe space for discussing incidents and fosters a community ethos of love, inclusion, and trust.
During his tenure, Burman and his officers investigated three hate incidents.
In a public speech in 2023, Rabbi Danny Burkeman of Temple Shir Tivka publicly recognized and thanked the Wayland Police Department “under the leadership of Acting Chief Ed Burman for his dedication, care, and concern for the Jewish community, the Muslim community, and all our faith communities in this town, and for the rapid response of his force to ensure that the swastika was covered and removed.”
Town Manager Michael McCall commended Burman for his four years.
“Chief Burman served our community with dedication, professionalism, and a steadfast commitment to public safety,” he wrote in an email statement. He said Burman led initiatives to “strengthen community trust and modernize department operations, which included numerous technology upgrades.”
“We are grateful for Chief Burman’s years of service and his commitment to serving the Town of Wayland,” McCall said.
Burman, who is also a registered nurse, has worked part-time for 33 years at the MetroWest Medical Center. He said that while he is retiring from his full-time role, he may explore interim or short-term leadership opportunities in the future.
