Former Cape Detective Named Next Head Of MA State Police

BOSTON — The Massachusetts State Police Department has a new leader. Gov. Charlie Baker named Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Mason as the next Colonel to lead the department following the retirement of Col. Kerry Gilpin. Mason is currently second in command and has been with the State Police for 26 years including 17 years with the Cape and Islands detective unit.

Gilpin, who will retire Friday, released a statement congratulating Mason and saying he is the right person for the job.

"Anyone who has worked with Chris during his career can attest to his intelligence, insight, and creative approach to meeting and surmounting challenges, as well as to his deep commitment to this agency," Gilpin said."When I assembled my senior command staff after being appointed Colonel two years ago, promoting Chris and naming him Division Commander of Investigative Services was one of my first moves ... I have full confidence that he will continue the progress we made over the last two years and, through his own initiatives, continue to further enhance the Department’s ability to fulfill its vital mission."

In his announcement, Baker said he's confindent Mason has the experience and vision necessary to move forward with reforms the department was working on under Gilpin. Some of those reforms the department will continue to work on under Mason include internal affair investigations, automatic vehicle locator technology and the use of body cameras.

"Drawing on his years of experience, we are confident Colonel Mason will lay out a vision for the Department’s future that will bring meaningful reform and restored public trust to the Commonwealth," Baker said in a statement.

Mason said he was honored to have the trust of Baker and his administration and looked forward to reflecting "honesty, integrity, and service" as values for the entire department.

"I promise to earn that trust every day with the men and women of the Massachusetts State Police who reflect our values of honesty, integrity, and service," Baker said. "These values are foremost in my mind as we move the department and our public safety mission forward."

As Lt. Colonel, Mason oversaw all State Police detective units and forensic personnel. He also served as deputy commander of the Division of Homeland Security and Preparedness, acting as director of the Commonwealth Fusion Center and supervising the Cyber Crimes Unit, High Risk Victims Unit, Identification Section and Fraud Identification Unit.

Mason worked many years as a trooper, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and commanding officer for the Cape and Islands State Police Detective Unit, where he investigated homicides, sexual assaults, and other violent crimes. He graduated from the State Police Academy in 1993 after serving as a natural resource officer in Barnstable for eight years.