Longtime Brookline Police Auxiliary Officer Passes Away

BROOKLINE, MA — "Greetings and salutations, sir." That's the way anyone who was working at the Brookline Police Department in the late 1970s early 1980s remembered one Matthew Stein who worked as a volunteer "auxiliary"police officer in the town.

The longtime Brookline resident passed away at age 63, on Monday, Aug. 5.

Stein had a way of warming the hearts and minds of both children and full time police officers on duty with his charm while he was on duty as part of the auxiliary police program, which was a group of unpaid, unarmed neighborhood watch officers, that ended when the town's police department became accredited in the early 2000s, according to Lt. Phil Harrington, a police spokesperson who remembers Stein fondly.

"He was quite passionate about the auxiliary police program and had plans to come before the Select Board and share some of the history," said Harrington.

Stein used to wear his auxiliary uniform with pride ride around in the special car set for neighborhood patrols and, on Halloween, spend $100 of his own money to buy bags of candy and hand drive around the town and hand it out. He'd dress up as Santa for police events and always seemed to be in a good mood, and eternally police, according to those who remember him.

"He never even swore," said Harrington.

Deputy Superintendent Myles Murphy described Stein as a people person, enthusiastic and genuine.

"Matt wore his heart on his sleeve and could tell more stories than just about anyone," Murphy wrote in an email to the deparmtne. "If you gave him the time, he would explain the science behind many daily activities that you’d take for granted. He really loved being part of the BPD and was such a positive presence in person or on the radio. “Greetings and Salutations!”, as he would broadcast and then you would hear multiple responses in kind, from Officers who normally wouldn’t participate in jovial radio communications."

He and auxiliary police volunteer Alan Zisken, could often be seen making coffee runs for police officers and waiting for tow truck drivers overnight.

When the volunteer police program ended, his love of helping Brookline Police officers did not end. Still, he worked security overnight elsewhere and took a job at the Museum of Science.

He was the son of Bluma Stein and the late Miklos Stein, survivor of the holocaust. He had a brother and a sister and was an uncle.

"He was a pleasure to be around and will be truly missed," said Murphy.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Brookline Police Association Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 470481, Brookline, MA 02447, according to his obituary.