State Police Reforms: Troop Eliminated, Body Cams, More

BOSTON, MA — State officials announced a plan Monday afternoon to "restore the public's trust" in the State Police after an overtime scandal and audit led to a rash of suspensions and sudden retirements from the embattled law enforcement agency that has struggled to regain its footing since a change in leadership last November.

Part of that work, Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and head of the State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin said in a press conference, will include the introduction of body cameras and a policy for them, an elimination of State Troop E, a reorganization of the barracks, and real-time GPS tracking of trooper cars.

"There's a lot of work that needs to be done here to clean this one up," said Baker.

Audits between 2015, 2016 and 2017 of Troop E are underway, said officials. Once those are done, they will all be made public.

"To improve the department we must recognize the shortcomings," said Polito.

The head of the State police said they did not find any other discrepancies for overtime in any other troops, but they did decide to adjust the staffing levels of Troop F, which patrols Logan Airport.

"These changes will not happen overnight," said Gilpin.

Days after the State Police live-streamed an announcement about a broadening scandal in which taxpayers have covered the unspecified costs of traffic enforcement shifts that were reportedly not worked, nine of the 19 State Police members for which hearings were scheduled in connection with the agency's internal probe chose to retire early.

Nearly 30 state police troopers in Troop E, the troop that patrols the Mass State Pike, were found to have filed for overtime they didn't work in 2016 were forwarded to the Attorney General, according to Baker, who said the Attorney General would determine whether criminal charges will be pressed or not.

"It's up to the AG to decide what to charge criminally," Baker said, but everyone involved have to come back to face departmental ramifications and whether it will affect their retirement. Baker said he equated the incident to stealing and if it were up to him, he'd say troopers should lose their pensions.

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Previously on Patch:

State Police's Latest Controversy Could Be Criminal

File photo of a state police cruiser near the airport by Jenna Fisher/Patch