Massachusetts State Police watchdog pushes again for probe of embattled agency

Proctor will be transferred from the DA’s detective unit effective Sunday. Proctor is subject to a duty status hearing and will remain employed by the department until that hearing completes, according to agency spokesman Tim McGuirk.

“Although Trooper Proctor is still employed by the Department, the decision to relieve him of duty means that he can no longer work cases or function as a trooper during this time,” McGuirk said.

MAPLE’s full statement

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has come to the end of a long ordeal with the verdict in the Karen Read trial. The proceedings have been widely reported both in the traditional and social media. A large segment of the state’s population, from Boston to the Berkshires, witnessed this trial.

A principal concern raised by this criminal trial is the level of competence, integrity and professionalism of the Massachusetts State Police officers involved in the investigation of the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. The performance of some of the Troopers assigned to this investigation, taken with other recent instances of misconduct by the department as a whole, have created doubt and skepticism in the minds of many citizens of the Commonwealth as to the capability of this agency to discharge its vital functions.

The Massachusetts State Police is the Commonwealth’s premiere law enforcement agency tasked with performing critical law enforcement services. These include: investigating major crimes and organized crime, interdicting illegal drugs and terrorist activity and maintaining the safety and security of our roadways and ports. Any doubt about the integrity, capability or commitment of this agency to properly and effectively discharge its functions is a matter of great public concern.

The foundation for effective policing is the retention of respect and confidence by the public for the police officers, who are assigned to protect them. Without this the police cannot succeed in their mission. Public confidence in the Massachusetts State Police has been shaken. It is imperative for the safety and security of this Commonwealth that this be addressed as soon as possible. The department must have strong principled leadership, extending from the Colonel down to the lowest ranks. Persons selected for service in the agency and assigned to fill its critical roles must be of the highest moral and intellectual caliber. Full transparency with regard to the Department’s hiring, training, assignment and promotional process is imperative.

The Massachusetts Association for Professional Law Enforcement, strongly urges state leadership to act on these recommendations and once again calls for an independent “stem to stern” public examination of this agency as an indispensable step in helping to restore public confidence.

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