State Police Tried To Destroy Records Amid Payroll Scandal

BOSTON — On several occasions this year Massachusetts State Police Department has attempted to destroy boxes of payroll, attendance, and personnel documents that go back decades amid ongoing investigations into overtime and payroll fraud.

The state police asked the Records Conservation Board three times this year for its approval to destroy the records, including once in March, just days after the Boston Globe reported that payroll records for an entire 140-trooper unit were hidden for years. Another request came in April, the then newly appointed head of the state police Col. Kerry Gilpin made promises to earn the Commonwealth's trust amid payroll scandal.

The police essentially requested to destroy at least 115 boxes of the only copy of the records. Commonwealth Magazine reported 12 of those boxes contained payroll files for detail and roster assignments involving the Troop division at Logan Airport.

Each time the Records Conservation Board tabled the State Police requests, on account of the records’ potential involvement in ongoing investigations, according to board documents.

State Police spokesman David Procopio said in an emailed statement to Patch the State Police followed the rules.

"The State Police follow the Secretary of State’s guidelines for retention of paper documents, including submitting requests to the Records Conservation Board for review. The recent requests made to the Board are in compliance with the Secretary’s retention schedule and the records, due to their age, are not currently the subject of any outside investigation or audit. None of the records in question have been destroyed and in light of current ongoing investigations pertaining to similar records, the State Police will retain past payroll records until further notice.

For context, the state police filed three requests to destroy records— in some cases going back more than 25 years — this year so far. Last year the state police filed just one such request for quality assurance records one year for a crime lab in Maynard. That request was granted, reported WBUR.

The revelations come to light as six State Troopers were indicted and some 40 more are being investigated for falsifying overtime pay records. Three have already pleaded guilty.

Read the full WBUR report here: State Police Records Destruction Requests

Read the full Commonwealth Magazine report here: State Police Sought To Destroy Records

Read the full Boston Globe report here: State Police Tried To Destroy Payroll Records

Catch up on the State Trooper overtime scandal:

• State Police Scandal Update: GPS On Cruisers, Troop E
• State Police Reforms: Troop Eliminated, Body Cams, More

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Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff