This month’s ‘Spotlight’ shines on a very illustrious member, Leonard Alston. In terms of his accomplishments, the word “illustrious” tends to be inadequate. Len was one of the “founding fathers” of our organization and served as its first president for ten years, 1977-1987. Those were turbulent times for the Black Transit Police Officer. Fear of reprisals to the active Cerberean membership lead to the retirees being put in the forefront in the fight for assignment of Black Officers into specialized units. Because of those efforts, the Transit Police Department commenced a change in its assignment policy.

Leonard was born June 19, 1921, in New York City and attended Haaren High School. January 1941 found Len in the U.S. Army, where he served in Hawaii and Okinawa until he was honorably discharged in October 1945. He became a member of the Transit Police Department five years later in 1950. He worked in Districts 2, 4, 7, 20 and the Detective Division, in various roles as a Patrolman, Sergeant, Lieutenant and Provisional Captain. He retired with the permanent rank of Lieutenant in 1975.

Len lives in Roosevelt, New York and has been married to his wife June for 57 years. They have been blessed with five children, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Len served for ten years as the President of the Freeport chapter of the NAACP and is presently an Elder at the Memorial Presbyterian Church of Roosevelt.

Len was most proud when the the Foundation named their award “The Leonard Alston Scholarship Award”. It was a fitting tribute to acknowledge Len’s accomplishments over a long period of time.

Attesting to Leonard’s long history of service to the Cerbereans, Guardians and the Retired Guardians is this picture of Len (2nd from right) presenting a Cerberean Society Award to J Raymond Jones on June 29, 1962