– News from elsewhere covered by Quincy Quarry News with commentary added.
State Police Troop E eliminated, body cameras, GPS tracking ordered for all troopers.
Massachusetts State Police Troop E gets two in the hat.
Sweeping reforms are being announced today for the Massachusetts State Police force, including the elimination of Troop E on the Mass Pike.
After weeks of taking heat for not acting, Governor Charlie Baker and somewhat recently installed State Police chief Colonel Kerry Gilpin pistol-whipped the state police force into line today.
Other actions imposed include GPS monitors for state police cruisers and body cameras for troopers.
The state police working at F Troop will also now work with Boston police on sharing the patrolling of the Seaport District in Boston.
So far, however, it is not clear if any further specific changes or sanctions will be imposed on the also well-paid – if not perhaps also two-timing – F Troop troopers assigned to the Logan Airport and Boston Seaport District beats.
In the meanwhile, overtime shifts agency-wide are being scrubbed as Governor Baker and state police chief Colonel Kerry Gilpin said the string of recent scandals within the Massachusetts State Police has tarnished the force.
“The people who violated that oath should be dealt with accordingly,” Governor Baker said today.
“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done here to polish this one up.”
And as for any troopers who faked OT shifts, Baker called for any offenders to surrender their pensions.
Quincy Quarry sources in the right places have said off the record that things are only just ramping up as regards putting state troopers’ boots to the fire.
Source: Sweeping state police reforms: Troop E eliminated, body cameras, GPS tracking ordered
These measures certainly seem drastic. The troopers involved should
be identified and prosecuted. All of the MSP is not dishonest however. If the Governor is so inclined to impose drastic measures for the crimes of just a few, I would love to see monitors and body cams on all of our legislators. Now there’s where the truly egregious crimes are being committed. The money stolen from the state by the troopers’ OT scam would be peanuts if the public were to learn where the rest of our tax dollars are going.
The reforms are nothing more than election year pandering. Fire the bad troopers. Commend the good ones. Hire back the poor guy who made some harmless Facebook posts. Prosecute the gangster moll and her sleazy ex. Let’s put this all in proper perspective.
The state has an auditor. if she weren’t so concerned about ruffling feathers, this mess would not have gotten out of hand. It’s her job to ruffle feathers. Would like to see some ruffling. Lots and lots of ruffling.
Alter,
We should all let the process play out before casting judgment about all of the problems facing the State Police.
No argument, many troopers do their duty. The Facebook poster, however, appears to have broached department policy via his posts, was involved in a recent firing of his weapon while on duty and thus under review as well as that there are indications that he may also be among those who allegedly were paid overtime for time not worked.
Please also note that the trooper moll is among those suspended and it appears that her former beau is also under review even if he opted for a sudden retirement when things started hitting the fan.
And as for dissing the State Auditor, please note that – without revealing any confidential sources – the Auditor was variously limited in her purview in this particular matter previously but that action steps are already underway.
And finally, one must keep in mind that the adversarial nature of our two party system is part and parcel to watching out for misdeeds within government entities.
Editor,
The auditor ignored this MSP issue which was not the best kept secret. Why did a trooper sue the MSP for not being given a transfer to the airport barracks? It was already well known that the airport assignment was a cash cow, then a guy has the balls to sue his employer/state government to basically extort money out of the system? That info got to the auditor and she chose to ignore it or she had no clue what was going on? Either way, she failed to see a problem and it wasn’t her first fail.
I would prefer that this became the campaign issue of this election cycle and not some disingenuous theatrics of suiting up troopers with bodycams in an effort to look proactive.
Alter,
Without revealing anything that might expose Quincy Quincy’s deep background and off the record resources, things are perhaps a bit different as well as far more complicated than you appear to believe.
For example, the alleged overtime abuse has been under review for months.
Additionally, when it comes to potential criminal fraud charges against police officers, investigations tend to be time-consuming as well as methodical – especially as the feds are sure to soon be taking jurisdiction for this mess.
Plus, real life cases take longer to wrap up than an episode of Law & Order – way longer.
Sybil,
Granted, ninety percent of legislators give the other ten percent a bad name.
Also granted, legislators variously abuse orders of magnitudes more money than apparently some state troopers have been doing.
At the same time, it is only reasonable to start somewhere – as well as that we can then only hope that the powers work up the food chain.
The whole of the mess didn’t happen overnight and it is thus only reasonable to assume that cleaning up things is going to take a while.
In Massachusetts, nothing goes ‘up’ the food chain. Only down. It’s called a fall guy.
Sybil,
Previous reports would indicate that the former head of the state police and various other state police brass appear to have their brass in a vise over at least aspects of the problems which have recently hit the fan for the Massachusetts State Police.
Remember also that feds are likely to soon be taking over the investigation and expected prosecutions and they are renowned for squeezing up the food chain.
Similarly, the likely body count is already looking to eventually run north, if not well north of 30.
Granted, some deserving parties may skate, but north of 30 and including various former Big Dogs at the MSP would be a refreshing change from past sweepings of things.