FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — The Massachusetts State Police has been knee-deep in scandals. Its reputation is damaged. The law enforcement agency has also had the perception of being highly secretive.
New MSP Col. Geoffrey Noble, the first leader hired from outside the Massachusetts State Police ranks, told Boston 25’s Gene Lavanchy in a one-on-one interview that there is a problem with the culture, and he’s aware of the impropriety.
Noble, a Rhode Island native, served with the New Jersey State Police for 30 years before coming out of retirement to take on the challenge of emphasizing transparency and accountability within the agency to rebuild public trust. He’s been on the job for 11 months.
“I believe that the Massachusetts State Police has and should and will, under my leadership, adapt the norms which are built upon the best practices on national excellence, which are integrity and honesty, but most importantly, competency,” Noble said. “Based on specific incidents, based on some of the issues and the scandals that the Massachusetts State Police have gone through, the public trust, the public confidence here in the Commonwealth has certainly decreased
Recent scandals have damaged the agency’s reputation, most notably the firing of Trooper Michael Proctor, who was the lead investigator in the Karen Read murder case.
Proctor was stripped of his position months after he came under fire for a series of disparaging texts he sent about Read, which he read aloud in court during witness testimony at her first trial. Proctor admitted on the stand that the texts were “unprofessional.”
Proctor is currently appealing the decision. Lavanchy asked Noble if he would ever welcome Proctor back to the force.
“He is entitled to his process, but what I can tell you is my actions have been loud and clear. I stand behind the decision that we made, and I believe that it was a righteous decision,” Noble said.
Noble noted that change is coming as a result of how the Read case was handled.
“For me, the area that we have to have a never-ending resolve to address is simply the word accountability. That’s what it comes down to. The Massachusetts State Police is committed to operating at the highest standards,” Noble explained. “I believe that many areas we are operating at those standards, but it’s our job and I think it’s my job in this moment, to ensure that we have a structure in place to ensure our troopers across the Commonwealth, whether they’re on patrol or they’re working in a specialized unit, are holding themselves to the high level of accountability that we expect from our troopers. My job is to make sure that we have the proper mechanisms in place as an organization.”
Another incident under scrutiny is the death of 25-year-old State Police recruit Enrique Delgado Garcia during a boxing exercise at the academy last September. Details of the incident remain undisclosed, but an independent investigation is underway, and Noble has pledged transparency once the results are available.
“We are eagerly awaiting the results of that investigation. That investigation is being conducted, rightfully so, by the independent council,” Noble said. “We, as well as the Commonwealth, as well as the public, but most importantly the family, I think all share a common goal, which is to get the results of the investigation, and we certainly look forward to that.”
The Massachusetts State Police has long been perceived as a secretive agency, a reputation solidified by the Golden Padlock Award it received in 2015 for being “the most secretive public agency in the United States.”
Noble’s “Excellence Initiative” aims to change this perception by promoting transparency and building trust with the public.
“The women and men of the Massachusetts State Police are eager to address this moment. No one in the Massachusetts State Police is running away from the tough questions,” Noble said. “In fact, just the opposite. The women and the men of the State Police are entirely committed to going towards the tough question, to understanding that moment that we find ourselves in, and to moving forward. I have not been met with any resistance.”
Colonel Noble hopes that in five years, Massachusetts residents will have renewed pride in the State Police, trusting that the agency operates at the highest national standards. His leadership marks a pivotal moment in the effort to restore faith in the state’s largest law enforcement operation.
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