Chief Cordeiro Honored at Day of Portugal Ceremony at State House

BOSTON — Representative Antonio F. D. Cabral (D-New Bedford) presented the Heritage Day of Portugal Award to Joseph Cordeiro, Chief of the New Bedford Police Department, at the 34th Heritage Day of Portugal ceremony at the State House on Monday.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Republic of Portugal, was the guest of honor.

“At this year’s Heritage Day of Portugal celebration, I had the privilege of recognizing Chief Cordeiro for his tremendous work serving and protecting the residents of New Bedford, and for serving as a strong role model for our Portuguese-American community,” said Rep. Cabral. “His biography highlights his dedication to the City of New Bedford and it was an exciting moment to honor him in the presence of President de Sousa, the Caucus, and all of the event’s attendees.”

The Heritage Day of Portugal celebration is organized each year by the Massachusetts Portuguese American Legislative Caucus. Representative Cabral serves as the House Chairman of the Caucus and helps organize the annual event. During the celebration, exemplary community members of Portuguese descent are recognized for their accomplishments and contributions, along with individuals who have been advocates on behalf of Portuguese-Americans in the Commonwealth.

Chief of Police Joseph C. Cordeiro is the youngest of three and was born in 1964, in Sao Miguel, Azores. In 1966, at the age of two, his family relocated to New Bedford.

Chief Cordeiro began his career in law enforcement in 1986 and was assigned to the Patrol Division. Completing his third year with the department, he was accepted into the elite Special Reaction Team and Tactical Patrol Force. On his seventh year of service, he was promoted to Sergeant as a uniform patrol supervisor. Five years later, in 1998, Chief Cordeiro was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He was in charge of the Domestic Violence Unit, Juvenile Bureau, and Sexual Assault Unit. In February 2003, he was appointed Commanding Officer of the Organized Crime and Intelligence Bureau, where he coordinated and fostered collaborative relationships with federal and state agencies, resulting in the successful closure of numerous multi-jurisdictional narcotic cases and seizures.

Chief Cordeiro was promoted to Captain in late 2005, where he assumed command of Station One Uniform District and was responsible to the E911 Communications Division, Traffic Division, and Animal Control.

On May 19, 2016, he was appointed Chief of Police. Chief Cordeiro earned his Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement and his Master of Criminal Justice Administration degree from Western New England College. The Chief is also a graduate of the esteemed Senior Management Institute for Police, sponsored by PERF at Boston University, Session #27 and New England Institute of Law Enforcement Management at Babson College, Session #227. Chief Cordeiro has been married to Christine for 32 years, and has two wonderful children, Jaimie and Haden.

“I offer my congratulations to Chief Cordeiro and all of the other honorees who received Heritage Day of Portugal Awards this year,” said Rep. Cabral. “The honorees highlight the strength of the PortugueseAmerican community here in Massachusetts and we are grateful for their contributions.”

Day of Portugal festivities will soon begin in New Bedford, with the opening ceremony taking place the evening of Friday, June 15.

--Rep. Cabral's Office