Law‑enforcement groups press committee to add more police representation to POST commission
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Summary
Witnesses urged favorable reports for H 2717/H 2407 to add law‑enforcement–appointed seats to the state's POST commission, arguing the panel lacks sufficient practitioner expertise following pandemic-era formation.
Labor and police groups urged the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security to support bills that would add law‑enforcement representation to the POST (Police Training and Standards) commission.
Representative Jeff Turco explained that H 2407 and H 2718 (and a related filing H 2717 in testimony) would allow additional seats to be filled from nominee lists provided by law‑enforcement labor organizations and appointed by the Attorney General. Michael Pereira of the Massachusetts Coalition of Police told the committee the POST commission was formed during pandemic‑era procedures with fewer opportunities for public input and that other professional boards commonly include practitioners to inform decisions. Supporters argued the change would align POST with standard practice for professional regulatory boards and improve training and oversight decisions.
Speakers asked the committee to issue favorable reports; no committee vote was taken during testimony.
