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Massachusetts State Police to bring outside review of academy, split next class to allow assessment
Summary
Massachusetts State Police Superintendent Jeffrey Noble described steps taken after recent in‑service incidents: new commandant, senior leadership changes, a national assessment by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and a trial of smaller cohorts for the next academy class to permit assessment and change mid‑course.
Massachusetts State Police Superintendent Jeffrey Noble told the Joint Committee on Ways and Means that the state police will commission an outside review of academy operations and training after recent high‑profile incidents.
Noble said the department has selected the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) through a competitive procurement to conduct a rigorous, independent assessment of the training academy. He said the IACP team will include national experts who will evaluate curriculum, staffing, culture and operations and provide actionable recommendations.
For the academy class starting May, Noble said command staff plan to split the incoming trooper class into two smaller cohorts so the IACP reviewers will have “unfettered access” and early recommendations can be adopted for the second cohort without waiting for a final report. He said commandant changes and enhanced supervisor presence are part of immediate steps to raise instructor experience levels, and that the changes were funded from within the state police budget.
Why it matters: The academy review and pilot of a split class are concrete steps the state police say will allow faster adoption of best practices and smoother oversight while the independent IACP review proceeds.
