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Massport police seek Group 4 retirement classification, citing antiterrorism and high‑risk duties
Summary
The New England Police Benevolent Association and Massport police leaders asked the committee to reclassify Massachusetts Port Authority police officers from Group 2 to Group 4 retirement status, arguing their duties, training and anti‑terror responsibilities align with Group 4 public‑safety roles.
Officials from the New England Police Benevolent Association (NEPBA) and Massport police told the Joint Committee on Public Service that Massachusetts Port Authority police should be moved from Group 2 to Group 4 under Chapter 32 to reflect their law‑enforcement and anti‑terrorism responsibilities. They testified in favor of Senate Bill 1888.
Chris Ryan, president of NEPBA and a retired Massport police lieutenant, said Massport police perform high‑risk, specialty policing across maritime and Seaport District facilities that draw several million annual visitors. He described a broad mission set — container and cruise terminals, industrial sites, residential and commercial properties — and said Massport police are “prepared and trained for the extraordinary police incident instance such as active shooters, terrorist acts, dirty bombs and disasters.”
Steve Panagitakis and Ryan emphasized that the Massport retirement system is well‑funded and that the Massachusetts Port Authority is self‑sustaining; they argued the classification change would be revenue neutral to the state because any added cost would be borne by Massport and its employees rather than the Commonwealth’s annual budget.
Witnesses asked the committee to report SB1888 favorably so Massport police could be included in Group 4 with other local police and public safety employees; no committee vote was recorded during the hearing.
Ending: Advocates framed the change as correcting a decades‑old inequity between Massport public‑safety employees and other Group 4 personnel; the hearing record did not include a retirement system or Massport fiscal statement on the record.
