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On a noble mission?
A New Jersey State Police image

Governor Maura Healey named a new head of the Massachusetts State Police to take over from an acting head of the state police.

Her appointee is also the first head state police who was not selected from the ranks of the Massachusetts State Police.

Further out of the ordinary is that Governor Healey looks to have truly undertaken a legitimate national search to find a new head of the state police.

Then again, Healey surely had to do so given that the US Department of Justice is all over the woeful investigations into the deaths of Sarah Birchmore and John O’Keefe as well as likely even more things yet with various parties with ties to the Norfolk County District Attorney.

Healey’s “choice” is retired New Jersey State Police Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble. 

Outsider notwithstanding, Noble is familiar with Massachusetts.  He grew up in Rhode Island, spent time on the Cape in his youth, and worked two summers as a summer cop on Nantucket before joining the New Jersey State Police in 1995.

Noble retired from the New Jersey State Police in 2022 after 27 years of service and then moved on to senior executive position with the largest private security operation in the United States.  He headed the company’s operations in the New Jersey and New York region with responsibilities including the private security operations at the major commercial airports in New Jersey and New York.

James “Whitey” Bulger leaving court
Image via the Boston Herald

Clearly, Noble is taking on the noble mission of fixing the long scandal-ridden Massachusetts State Police as he is surely foregoing serious money working in the private sector to take on the challenge of running the long problematic Massachusetts State Police.

Particularly impressive is Noble’s formal education and professional experience.

Noble’s collegiate education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Education from Seton Hall University.

He also received a Certificate of Achievement in Criminal Justice from the University of Virginia as well as is an FBI National Academy graduate.

Looking for a clue
A Free Republic image

And as for his considerable as well as impressive range of professional experience, of particular note is Noble’s stint as the Commander of the New Jersey State Police’s Forensic and Technical Services Section in the wake of a systemic failure that had resulted in the dismissal of thousands of cases. Noble implemented a comprehensive rework of this unit and so increased quality control and accountability while concurrently increasing efficiency which resulted in the elimination of a 17,000 case backlog.

Noble also developed and then implemented the New Jersey Crime Gun Protocol, a nationally recognized best-practice which is now a key factor in reducing violent crime in New Jersey as exampled by a 30% reduction in shootings statewide.

Granted, the Massachusetts State Police has long been a hot mess; however, it would appear Noble just may be the right person to turn things around, especially as he looks to be a no-nonsense professional per the above official New Jersey State Police phonograph of him.

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