Roland was the only child of John Kinlock and Laura Killian and grew up in Lawrence. He was married to Marion Burkhardt and had one child. As a young man, he was a competitive cyclist. He originally was a pipe fitter, but was appointed in 1944 as a policeman with the Methuen Police Department, a career he enjoyed for the rest of his life. After years on the midnight shift, he became the town's Safety Officer dealing with schools, crossing guards, etc. He joined the MJOA, then the IJOA (International Juvenile Officers Association) where he became very active. At the time of his untimely death, he was it's president.

Roland was also a Mason and an active member of the Allepo Chapter of Shriners. He was kind, generous to an extent, friends with everyone, and just an all around wonderful person. He was my dad.


∼Police Officer Roland Kinlock
Methuen Police Department, Massachusetts
End of Watch: Monday, January 7, 1974
Age: 62
Tour: 31 years

Officer Kinlock died from a heart attack while on duty. [odmp.org]

Kinlock Award: Formerly the M.J.P.O.A. Award

The first awards given by this organization were Man of the Year Awards and the first three were by the Middlesex Juvenile Officers Association. Then continued after our growth to the M.J.O.A. until the untimely passing of our past President Roland Kinlock.

Roland's contributions and accomplishments were many and the Man of the Year Award became the Roland Kinlock Award and the first recipient was Mrs. Marion Kinlock in memoriam and also for her own attendance and interest in the M.J.P.O.A.

The Roland Kinlock Award is one that we all revere and this award in his memory may not be awarded to anyone lacking in excellence in his or her field of endeavor; that endeavor must be associated with our young people. He must be endowed with understanding, compassion and patience and a willingness to do more than the next person for tomorrow's adults.

Roland was such a man, a patrolman who had worked every facet of police work and in the later years of his career became a Juvenile Officer, President of this Association, our representative to the International Juvenile Officers Association and then its President.

He was sincere, hard working and understood and promoted the thought that love and compassion could assist our troubled young, and the same values should also be visited upon the untroubled – including adults.

Therefore, it is with loving memory and pride that the Massachusetts Juvenile Officers Association presents the Roland Kinlock Award to those persons with comparative values and contributions.

My Notes:

The son of John James Kinlock (born in Darwen, England) and Laura Wilhelmina Killian (born in Lawrence).

The husband of Marion Eloise Burkhardt whom he married in 1936 in Methuen.