OTTY Honoree 2020 Brian Larkin: A Friend in Blue

Brian Larkin is a second-generation member of the NYPD – his father served as a narcotics detective in Brooklyn – who almost didn’t become a police officer. As a college student, he had his eye on Wall Street, but he graduated in 2007, just as the recession arrived.

He worked an office job briefly, but as it turned out, sitting at a desk all day wasn’t what he was looking for after all.

He wanted to help people. So he took his dad’s advice and sat for the police exam. Larkin, 35, joined the force in 2009 and today serves as the community affairs officer at the 19th Precinct

“Police Officer Brian Larkin is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all on the Upper East Side,” said Inspector Kathleen Walsh, the 19th Precinct commander. “His passion for the work he does is paramount in the relationships he has built in our great community. Congratulations to Brian on receiving an OTTY award.”

Larkin was just 7 when his dad, also named Brian, hung up his shield. But he remembers seeing his dad come home smiling, which made an impression on a young kid. And he recalls how his father spoke highly about being a member of the NYPD

While he worked in a few different precincts his first couple years, he has found a home on the Upper East Side. Larkin noted “it’s one of the most sought after precincts in the borough.”

As a community affairs officer, he works with community leaders, civic organizations, block associations and concerned citizens to educate them about police policies and practices, and to establish and maintain lines of communication. He also helps provide police officers for rallies, protests, parades and various events in the neighborhood.

Most importantly, he said, it’s about being there for people.

Larkin told Our Town he wouldn’t trade his shield for a suit any day of the week, and he definitely wants to advance up the NYPD ladder. Married, with two children, he commutes to the Upper East Side from Long Island, but said that it’s worth the hour-long drive

He acknowledged that the job has its ups and downs, but in the end he enjoys it. He is not sure what the future holds – and whether he wants to be a narcotics detective like his dad – but with a loving family at home and at the 19th Precinct, he sees only good things ahead.