Catching fire: Cape Cod police officer carries torch in Berlin Special Olympics games

Ambermae Rivard, Cape Cod Times
·2 min read

Deputy Chief Kevin Considine of the Harwich Police Department was among 80 law enforcement officers from around the world to serve as guardians of the flame for the 2023 Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg, at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany.

The law enforcement officers represented 50 countries.

The sports event is considered the world's largest and most inclusive, according to the Special Olympics website. Thousands of athletes who have intellectual disabilities competed in 26 sports different sports for nine days.

Considine arrived before the opening ceremony on June 13 and landed back home on June 20.

Over the course of four and a half days, the officers and athletes ran 27 miles together in Brandenburg and Berlin. Each torch is always held by both the athlete and officer.

Harwich Deputy Police Chief Kevin Considine, right, running with athlete Stacey Hull in Berlin, Germany. Considine was one of 80 law enforcement officers from around the world to serve as guardians of the flame for the Special Olympics World Games 2023 Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg.
Harwich Deputy Police Chief Kevin Considine, right, running with athlete Stacey Hull in Berlin, Germany. Considine was one of 80 law enforcement officers from around the world to serve as guardians of the flame for the Special Olympics World Games 2023 Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg.

Considine explained the best part was being able to support the athletes and raise money for a great cause.

“It was absolutely amazing … we ran into cities and towns and were just welcomed with opened arms, people lining the streets cheering us on as we ran with the flame,” Considine said in a phone interview with the Times. “The purpose of that is to raise awareness of the Special Olympics World Games and be guardians of the flame. Our ultimate mission is to bring that flame, they call it the flame of hope, into the world games for the opening ceremonies.”

Considine has been with the Harwich Police Department for 25 years, serving as deputy chief for the last four.  For approximately 12 years, Considine has been a part of the leadership council for the Special Olympics Massachusetts where he was selected through nomination to represent Massachusetts in the 2023 Special Olympics.

A local torch run was held in May 2023 called “the Cape Cod Torch Run leg.” Officers started at 5 a.m. in Provincetown and finished at 5 p.m. in Bourne. For 70 miles police departments transferred the flame down routes 6 and 6A.

In this May 24 photo, Harwich Deputy Police Chief Kevin Considine, right, talks with Provincetown Deputy Police Chief Gregory Hennick before the start of the local torch run.
In this May 24 photo, Harwich Deputy Police Chief Kevin Considine, right, talks with Provincetown Deputy Police Chief Gregory Hennick before the start of the local torch run.

“All those torch runs across the country culminate to where we were in Berlin, that final leg, bringing that into an Olympic stadium in Berlin,” Considine said.

The support the athletes show for the police is just as important to them.

“Whether it's Massachusetts local games or school day games we show up to, or the summer games in Boston that we show up to, or the world games … Police are truly heroes,” Considine goes on to say “They (the athletes) love seeing us, they love giving us hugs, high fives. And we love to do that for them in return. What these athletes think of the police is amazing and it’s really a good thing for the police.”

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Special Olympics close to heart of Harwich deputy police chief