An interview with NYPD's Bryan Quinn

The alumni interview series continues. But first, before we dive deep into the awesome story of Bryan Quinn (Class of 2008), it occurs to me we need a “name” for this series. My two, alliterative working titles are: The Pandemic Papers (for journalism nerds like me, it’s a takeoff on the Pentagon Papers) or Quarantine Questions. I’m leaning toward the first one. Let me know your thoughts (email me at runhed246@hotmail.com or text me at 845 309 3640) Anyway!

Here we go today with Bryan Quinn, who took the long road to become a member of Red Fox Nation. But once he was here, boy, did he make the most of his time in the red and white. He is now a member of New York’s Finest, as a detective with the NYPD; his career path, since he started as a 22-year-old patrol, is truly impressive. In this time of pandemic, and really at all times, his is a noble and high-risk profession. Like all of our alums, I’m proud of everything that they have done and that they continue to do.

Describe your high school career highlights in track/XC (there were many, as we KNOW) and what shaped you as an athlete? 

I started my High School TF/XC career at Northport High School under the tutelage of the great Tim Dearie (Marist Alumnus!). The program quickly rose from "middle of the pack" within our small League to a seasonal national powerhouse for years to come. While I was there, we won five consecutive County Championships (one shy of a back-to-back Triple Crown), three State 4x800 Championships, and our crown jewel, a Penn Relays Distance Medley Championship of America in 2003.  Individually, I was able to achieve PR's of 1:54 (Loucks Games Champion), 2:31 (State Indoor Runner Up), and 4:18 (Outdoor Eastern States Champion).

It became obvious to me much later in life that the close personal relationship forged by Coach Dearie at such a young age really shaped me both as an athlete, and as a person.  Whether it be the implementation of positive affirmation index cards, constant pre-race confidence boosts, pre-race prayer, or the encouragement and freedom to lead the team as an extension of one of the coaches.

Describe the path you took to attending Marist.

Oh boy. To be brutally honest, I was blinded by the idea of "Bigger is Better."  Growing up, I wanted nothing more than to go to a big Division I school, particularly a Big East Conference school.  My dream college ever since I can remember was St. John's University. I was thrilled once I was recruited by their program, and soon disappointed to learn the program was cut due to Title IX in the middle of my recruitment.  Right around this time is when my indoor season really started to gain some additional attention. I took official visits with UConn, Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Marist. I chose the middle-distance driven school, UConn, and quickly realized I was just a number. I lacked the personal touch and attention I was used to; I didn't have that feeling of being one of the guys there and the insane pressure to constantly perform with no room for error really started to eat at me. My performances and grades really started to suffer. To be fair, my mother LOVED Marist and literally told me, "I told you so" after I ended up leaving UConn after my freshman year.

Finding Coach Pete was the match I needed. Although, Pete's personality couldn't be further from Coach Dearie's, their coaching style, ability to connect, talk to you like a human being, and understand the pressures of everyday life allowed me to pick up where I left off at Northport and to continue at Marist in the fall of 2004. Pete always made himself available for a chat in his office, a call during a break, a talk to settle nerves, a proof read of a paper (due the next day), or literally anything that he could do that provided that little extra comfort of home. As personal or as close as we got, I always felt the need to bust my ass for the man.  Whether it be on a double at the armory or the 12th hill repeat in a workout, Pete still created a sense of pride in the program and a pride in your work.

What are some of your favorite memories/career highlights from your time at Marist on the track and in cross country? 

DISNEY. The MAAC XC Championships in 2004 was my first real taste of "Team" since I graduated from Northport.  We had great leaders on that team who I had remembered meeting back on my Official Visit: Geoff Decker, Steve Hicks, and Sean Hopkins.  These were great guys who embraced me as a transfer.  I never felt like I had missed out after coming into the team a year later.

MILLROSE. The Millrose Games of 2005 (back when they were at Madison Square Garden), was truly a "bucket list" must for the world of Track & Field.  Leading that race and hanging in the tunnels of MSG with Coach Pete, Geoff Decker, Mike Bamberger and Brian DeMarco is something that will stick with me forever.

Individually, I'd have to say my first program record in the 1000-meter run.  I came into Marist looking at that record and knew it was something I really wanted by the time I graduated.  I can still hear Kris Geist on the infield of BU yelling "Go Daddy, Go!" LOL. 

What are some of the important lessons you learned during your time at Marist?

I learned how truly important it is to stay connected.  The friendships I formed throughout my time at Marist were, and still are, what I value the most.  Whether it be attending the countless weddings, BBQs, Bachelor Parties, Baby Showers, or weekend getaways, it all started at Marist.

What did you major in at Marist and how did it prepare you for your current career in the NYPD?

I majored in Political Science, and although I didn't complete a minor in Criminal Justice, I did take several classes in that field.  I really never envisioned myself becoming any type of Law Enforcement. It's not in my family, nor did I have any friends that were in any police departments. My housemate and teammate, Jeff Belge, had a desire to be in law enforcement and dragged me with him to nearly every state/county/local entrance exam between New York & Connecticut. During a school break, I was at home on Long Island and decided to throw my name in the hat for the NYPD entrance exam. I honestly just fell into it. Those 30-page Poli Sci papers really came in handy!!!

If you could give current team members advice or guidance, based on your time at Marist and beyond, what would it be?

I hope Coach Pete doesn't roll his eyes at this, but this is how I truly feel...

ENJOY EVERY MINUTE.  Seriously, this is the easy stuff.  The fun stuff. The stuff you don't get to do again. The hard stuff comes later. Rent, buying a home, paying taxes. Juggling a career, family life, time for friends. You don't have to worry about a single one of those responsibilities at Marist (okay besides maybe rent - shout out to the BoyZone & Woodlawn Men's Club).  Embrace those meals together in the cafeteria, study groups in the library, Sunday long runs chatting with your teammates about the previous night's debauchery (sorry Pete).

You still follow the program's results (which, as an old coach, I find Highly Neat!). Why is that and what has impressed you the most about the team since your graduation?

Haha. I've never actually thought about, "why?"  I feel loyal to the program, loyal to my coach.  I have had and still have direct connections to the athletes.  Coach Dearie's son is currently a Red Fox (freshman Brendan Dearie).  I still follow a lot of Section XI results as well, and as we know Marist has a constant flow of athletes from here.  I probably also have a sense of competitiveness that doesn't just go away.  I love seeing the results week to week, thinking about how I would be able to insert myself on the current team, or how my teammates from "back in the day" would stack up.

I LOVED seeing the group of sprinters emerge and dominate this past winter season.  That's a breath of fresh air for a distance heavy program, and especially for a program that doesn't have a facility for them to train on. I'm impressed by the images I've seen of the newly renovated McCann Center.  The weight room looks insane. I'm constantly impressed in seeing how the program is able to pump out strong middle-distance runners dipping under 1:55. Bravo! Also, the women!  Coach Chuck seems to be the master recruiter he's always been, and he's done great in putting the Marist name at the front of the pack in recent years from what I've observed.

Tell us about your career path in the NYPD. When did you join, how did you ascend to your current position and what are your current duties?  

I started off on a foot post in Brooklyn's East New York neighborhood, the 75th Precinct. One of the few neighborhoods even the hipsters don't attempt to pioneer in.  It was a tough time in a tough, tough neighborhood (shootings, fights, gangs, homelessness, government housing) -but, being 22 years old and naive definitely helped me get through it. After about seven months there, I was transferred to a much nicer area - Long Island City, Queens - the 108th Precinct.  In the 108th Precinct I was assigned a patrol car answering 911 calls.  I was an "active cop" during 2009-2010; times were a little less sensitive then they are now. Being active, I was afforded a role as an "Anti-Crime Cop."  This meant I was able to perform my day-to-day duties in plain clothes and in an unmarked car. Our purpose was to address certain crime conditions within the precinct and attempt to proactively stop an uptick in that particular crime from spiking. In 2010, I had 100 arrests for the year, a number that probably wouldn't be advertised in today's climate. In 2012, I took on the role of the precinct's Field Intelligence Officer. My duties included obtaining and executing search warrants, undercover narcotics buys, undercover firearms buys, and maintaining a stable of confidential informants. My success in this position was recognized by my Commanding Officer, who awarded me with the promotion to Detective in 2013.  Throughout my tenure in the 108^th, I was awarded "Cop of the Year" three times and was recognized by the community several times for my service. After almost five years in this position, I finally left the precinct and took on my next assignment in the Police Impersonation Investigation Unit. My current unit is a small Detective Squad that focuses on major crimes (Shootings, Robberies, Burglaries, Larcenies) in which the perpetrator impersonates law enforcement. PIIU has been an eye-opening experience for me as I've been able to travel across the country for cases, apprehend individuals and extradite them back to New York, and even obtain Air Marshall training. I've been in the Unit since November of 2017 and will hit my 13th year "on the job" this July.

How has the Coronavirus impacted you and your colleagues professionally? Are you concerned about it now and in the future? How are you coping with it?  

Well, I'm currently in a small office with only 16 investigators and supervisors. My Commanding Officer has currently tested positive for the virus, and two of my fellow investigators are out with symptoms. We've been instructed to restrict going out on casework unless absolutely necessary. Our unit handles our own investigations top to bottom. So that means we canvass our crime locations, interview our witnesses/victims, canvass for video surveillance footage, apprehend our own subjects, and conduct our own search warrants, just to name a few of our responsibilities. Fortunately, a quarantine means people are in their homes (less burglaries), and not on the street (less robberies), so our caseload has dropped for the time being. I don't have too many personal concerns; I tend to take things as they come - one step at a time. The biggest stress in my opinion is the unknown. Going to work each day and not knowing how we are going to handle whatever comes in, or not being instructed on what's going on around us is the annoying part.  

I've actually been going on runs during my lunch breaks. My office is under the Queensboro Bridge with quick access to Manhattan, and I'm not too far from Brooklyn either. There are great paths along the East River that I've been using for some 3/4/5 mile runs.  It feels great to be getting back into great shape, and with an active pandemic, is there a better time than now?

How is the Coronavirus impacting you and your young family? Is everyone healthy and safe? Is Liv considered "essential" and still working? How old are your kids now?  

Olivia and I have two children. Caroline is turning 5 next month, and Graham is turning 3 in June. Our house is busy as you can imagine. Lots of LOL Dolls and Dinosaur toys spread throughout the house. Liv has done great with keeping their brains sharp with daily crafts and activities. We've been doing a lot of scooting through the neighborhood when the weather affords it. Thank God everyone here is healthy. We're fortunate Caroline was only in Pre-K, however, she is definitely missing her friends and teachers. Her birthday is April 30th and she was supposed to have her party on May 2nd, so that will be fun to explain to her when the time comes.

Liv is considered "essential" as a General Dentist but is restricted to taking emergencies only. The New York State Dental Association has put limitations on what procedures they are allowed to conduct so she's been on call for the better part of a week.

How has your running progressed lately and do you have any future goals athletically?  

Running has been amazing lately. I've recently found myself in love again after a good span of probably 10 years off (blech). I got fat. I hated it. Needed to change. I found myself really immersed in a new gym, OrangeTheory Fitness. I was able to really get my legs back under me and cut a lot of the weight. I started doing about 2.5 to 3 miles per class, about every other day. The last few months, I've really noticed an improvement. I've slimmed down, added muscle and started feeling strong enough to do track workouts again. Don't get me wrong, I "stay in my lane" and really only do 200 repeats with a 200 jog as the recovery.  My most recent workout from this past weekend was a mile warm up, mile tempo in 5:45, 600 at tempo pace, and 4x200 in 32/31/31/28.

I haven't jumped into any races yet, and with all that's going on in the world, it will probably be a while until I can. I'd like to race a 400-meter dash soon and see where my fitness level is really at.  If I can do a 5k under 19 minutes by the end of the summer, I'd be satisfied. 

Have you remained close to your classmates and former teammates at Marist? Any future visits planned to your old college?  

Myself, Mike Rolek aka Mikey Rolls, Bryan Dixon, and Tom Dixon talk regularly.  We compare notes on our red wine preferences weekly.  It's our attempt at keeping the Jerk Squad meetings alive!  The boys and their families along with my family recently went up to the Poconos for a weekend trip.  It's crazy to see our little offspring playing with each other and getting along.  A true blessing.

I'd love to get up to Marist soon and take the kids up on some hikes and maybe even a trek over the Walkway.  Fall in the Hudson Valley is a beautiful thing!

Anything else you'd like to add ...   

Stay Safe & Stay Healthy Everyone! Go Foxes!