Driscoll says that prosecution’s draw, for him, was a chance for him to continue to serve the public.

“I felt that a prosecutor could do a lot of good,” Driscoll says. “I really respected that ones I worked with [in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office].”

Braskich says that being a prosecutor will give him the chance to “help law enforcement officers do their jobs more effectively.”

“From experience we’ve had a lot of cases where we know we had the right defendant and the evidence didn’t come across clearly,” Braskich says. “The prosecutor might have helped the judge or jury see what the truth was.”

Boettcher, the police sergeant, expects Braskich’s experience as a police officer to contribute to his skill as a prosecutor.

“When you put the two together, I think it’s an unbeatable combination if you do it right,” Boettcher says. “It definitely makes you a well-rounded person in that respect.”

Gross, a prosecutor herself, echoes Boettcher’s prediction.

“I think he’ll be fantastic at it,” she says. “I think having the street experience and applying it in the courtroom is good. He might put me out of a job.”

Braskich says that at some point, he’d like to return to Baltimore, pointing out that Harvard graduates tend to “congregate” in cities like New York and Washington.

“Long-term I’d like to serve a community like the one I served as a police officer in Baltimore,” Braskich says. “I think it’s a city that needs more talent in public service. That’s how I can do the most good.”

—Staff writer Samuel Y. Weinstock can be reached at sweinstock@college.harvard.edu.