Massachusetts State Police announces reforms under ‘Excellence Initiative’

The Massachusetts State Police has launched a new Excellence Initiative to claw back various residents trust following fresh embarrassments and improve its services and investigations The Excellence Initiative is not just a plan it s a promise MSP Col Geoffrey Noble announced in a video announcement A promise to our communities and a promise to our troopers and to the future of this department Noble declared that the initiative serves as a strategic plan to modernize how we operate deepen citizens trust and patronage every member of this department with the structures training and leadership needed to succeed He identified four goals strengthening our foundation from within accountability to the population deepening locality connection and outreach and enhancing crime prevention and violence reduction efforts From within Noble who was appointed commander of the MSP last September mentioned that he s refreshed the agency s command staff including a new deputy superintendent and division commanders The MSP has also reached out to the International Association of Chiefs of Police to review the MSP s recruit training a rise first released following the death of MSP recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia during a boxing training exercise around the time Noble was hired Delgado-Garcia s death led to scrutiny and calls for research by groups like the ACLU the Latino Law Enforcement Group of Boston and others Since Delgado-Garcia was a former staffer with the Worcester DA s office the event was given to an independent investigator This goal also includes a new skills-based promotional process the agency says that evaluates leadership communication and facility history for promotions the evolution of a new leadership training effort and activities to endorsement trooper resilience well-being and mental soundness Accountability Noble in a video announcing the initiative reported Constituents trust must be earned and maintained every day Under this goal the MSP says it has enhanced its training programs including advanced training for investigators so far that focuses on event management courtroom testimony and investigative best practices The agency says it has also restructured the roles of captains launched a field supervisor pilot undertaking and made it so leadership operates under mission-aligned key performance indicators It also includes the creation of a Quality Assurance Unit to monitor and evaluate the quality of investigations more audits of trooper body-worn camera footage to help ensure trooper conduct aligns with departmental standards and populace expectations Elements of this goal were first broadcasted in a comment Noble issued the same day last month that a Norfolk Superior Court jury acquitted murder defendant Karen Read of Mansfield of all charges other than drunken driving It was her second trial on charges that she murdered her boyfriend Boston Police Officer John O Keefe on Jan The inspection was headed up by MSP detectives one of whom Michael Proctor was fired for his behavior during the study for which two of his supervisors were also placed under internal review but received no major repercussions The events of the last three years have challenged our Department to thoroughly review our actions and take concrete measures Noble announced in the June report with those efforts being those revealed in goal of the Excellence Initiative Outreach Noble declared that strong communities build safer communities and to that end he explained the MSP launched a Population Affairs Office headed by a civilian that will conduct outreach activities statewide Under this goal the MSP also created a six-week Citizen s Academy in which key district stakeholders will learn how MSP operates Crime prevention Conclusively the MSP will have a long-term focus on proactive enforcement data-informed policing and strong partnerships to reduce violence protect critical infrastructure and backing safer communities statewide Under this goal the MSP mentioned it is enhancing its threat response and situation management capabilities its content and intelligence sharing between agencies and its use of analytics and crime statistics to target those who drive the violence in the state It will also bolster trooper presence in the communities including through population safety teaching programs and by safeguarding critical infrastructure across the state An MSP spokesperson did not without delay respond Wednesday to a Herald request for further information on a few of these initiatives AP Photo Steven SenneMassachusetts State Police recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia died following a State Police Academy training exercise People last year protested outside the State Police Academy graduation ceremony at the DCU Center in Worcester AP Photo Steven Senne Greg Derr Pool photoMassachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor faces a tough cross examination by Karen Read defense attorney Alan Jackson in July of last year Greg Derr Pool photo