Dr. Paul F. Joyce

Areas of Expertise

• Corrections/supervision, criminal investigation, gangs and youth violence, training and education, multi-agency partnerships, policing, public policy, strategic planning 

Education

• B.A. in sociology, Clark University (1980)
• M.A. in criminal justice, Boston University (2000)
• Ph.D. in criminology and justice policy, Northeastern University (2017)

What's My Why?

In 2024 my first book, “It Started With the Hats: The Life Experiences of Boston’s Founding Street Gang Members,” was released. The book tells the life stories of 30 Black and Latino men who witnessed and led the emergence of the street gang culture in Boston in the late 1980s. It explores the influences that led to gang membership; the origins of the gang; why some gang members desisted from the gang life and crime, while others continued to offend; and the long-term impact of gang membership on their lives. The book details the history of how street gangs formed in Boston and addresses the question, “Can a group of serious and violent street gang members change their lives? How, when and why?” 

Professional Experience

I was a police officer for over 31 years. My first three years were with the Dedham Police Department, where I gained valuable formative experience. I then joined the Boston Police Department, where I would serve for the next 28 years. Much of my career was spent working in the areas of street gangs and homicide, and for the last 14 years of my career I was a superintendent overseeing special operations, criminal investigations and training and education. Looking back on my career, I feel very fortunate to have fulfilled this lifelong goal. Before coming to Salve Regina, I was the director of the homeland security studies graduate program at Endicott College. In my role as chair of Salve Regina's Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, I teach policing, oversee faculty and direct curriculum development, assessment and evaluation, advising, budget and strategic planning. 

Selected Publications

Joyce, P. F. (2024). It Started with the Hats: The Life Experiences of Boston’s Founding Street Gang Members. Southern Illinois University Press.