Professional Bio
Chief Daniel J. Valadas has been a police officer for the Ludlow, Massachusetts Police Department for 31 years. He was first appointed as a Special Police Officer on May 8th, 1990. Chief Valadas was then appointed as a full time Patrolman on May 4th, 1993. He then served 10 years as a Patrolman, 15 years as a Patrol & Shift Sergeant, and 3 years as an Operations Lieutenant on the second shift. During his career, he has served as a Patrolman, Bike Patrol Officer, Gang Intelligence Officer, Community Police Officer, Operations Commander, Training Supervisor, Public Information Officer, Gang Intelligence Unit Supervisor, K-9 Supervisor, Dispatch Director, Emergency Management Liaison, Legal Update Instructor, Special Police Unit Director, Internal Affairs Officer, Civil Rights Officer, Disease Infection Control Officer and as a Junior Achievement Instructor.
As Chief of Police, he serves as the police department’s Chief Executive Officer with oversight and command of all police department operations; investigative services, budgeting, MA Civil Service compliance, all civilian personnel, and collective bargaining for approximately an eighty-person police department.
He has been an Municipal Police Training Committee Staff & Drill Instructor at the Western Massachusetts Police Academy (2007-2016) and he is currently a Level III Instructor for the MPTC in Legal Update, Terrorism & Homeland Security, Drug Recognition & Investigations, Juvenile Issues, and Gangs.
He is an Adjunct Professor/Guest Lecturer at Western New England University since 2007 with courses concentrating on Terrorism, Counterterrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Drugs/Society & the Criminal Justice System, Police & Society, Judicial Process, and Criminal Justice Historical Perspective.
Chief Valadas also served as a Military Police Officer for 10 years with the United States Army Reserves stationed at the former active duty Fort Devens Post, Acton, MA, with the 187th Infantry Brigade. He was honorably discharged as an Army Staff Sergeant in 1998 where he served as an MP squad leader.
Chief Valadas holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Western New England University (1995) and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science with a double major in Criminal Justice from American International College (1990).
Chief Valadas has completed the FBI-LEEDA Leadership Trilogy and FBI-LEEDA Internal Affairs courses, along with the completion of FLETC Active Shooter Training, FEMA Weapons of Mass Destruction/Terrorism Awareness for Emergency Responders, Sports & Special Events Incident Management, ICS 400, the Initial Response to Terrorist Bombing Course (DHS IRTB) at New Mexico Tech University, and the Municipal Police Institute Executive Development Course. He holds a Massachusetts OEMS EMT- Basic Certification.
Chief Valadas is also an instructor for Commonwealth Police Legacy, Norton, MA.
He is married with four children and resides in Ludlow.