Robert Haas​

Robert C. Haas retired as Commissioner of the Police Department in Cambridge Massachusetts in 2016. At the Cambridge Police Department he initiated and implemented highly effective programs including a partnership with the Cambridge Safety Net Collaborative, which connected youth involved in risky behaviors or juvenile offenses with support, diversion, and early intervention coordinated by multiple agencies.

During his tenure the Cambridge Police Department reduced juvenile arrests by 65% and reduced runaways by 80% in five years, and became a national model site for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for its approach to working with children, youth and families.  The positive results of programs he initiated as Commissioner continue to draw visits to the Cambridge Police Department from law enforcement agencies seeking to provide a comprehensive response to youth issues.

Commissioner Haas also served as Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety, where he was responsible for the administrative oversight of state public safety agencies, boards and commissions. He has received multiple awards for exemplary service, in particular for voluntary service in domestic violence prevention.

Robert currently serves on a number of committees addressing public safety at the local, state and federal level, including the US Attorney’s Multidisciplinary Threat Assessment & Intervention Working Group and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Committee on Homeland Security; and is also an advisor to the American Law Institute project Principles of Police Investigations.

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