BOSTON (WHDH) - When Colonel Geoffrey Noble took command 10 months ago, the Massachusetts state police were facing difficult questions.
Disgraced former trooper Michael Proctor, lead investigator in the Karen Read murder trial, was under fire for sending vulgar text messages about Read to friends and sharing details of the case with family.
Proctor was eventually fired for not following department protocol.
“I think the actions that this department have taken that, that I’ve taken since I’ve been here, speak to where I stand on the actions specifically of Trooper Proctor,” said Noble.
“He’s now obviously not a trooper anymore, but there [was] so much skepticism around the case. How do you, as colonel, try to restore trust in the public and knowing that investigations and your investigators, when they’re out there investigating crime, are following the standards?”
“Will I sit here and say that this is a perfect organization? Of course not. I, I don’t know any organization that is. Will continue, um, to message to the public how we train our troopers, what the training is, how we put them through, measurements to ensure, internally that they’re meeting our standards,” Noble said.
Noble says supervisors are now more involved in investigations. That’s a change meant to prevent the kinds of concerns raised in the Karen Read case.
“I’m very confident right now that as we move forward, the state police is positioned very well to ensure that we’re, um, that we are delivering the services that are expected,” Noble said.
“The skepticism is so strong with the investigation piece of it and obviously the way evidence was collected and all of the things. Is there anything else that you want to say to the public to reassure them that if there’s a crime in their neighborhood and investigators have to go out and collect evidence and just do the basics of the job and that it will be done correctly?”
“No troopers in this job are, are operating, by themselves. That we have measures, and we have supervisors out there who are specifically tasked with ensuring that our troopers are doing the right things,” Noble said.
The department is also under scrutiny for the death of recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia. He collapsed during a box match at the academy last summer.
His family is still waiting to learn exactly what happened to him.
“The state police is heartbroken over this death. I’m heartbroken over this death. This is a young man that put his hand up and said he wanted to serve that’s, that’s meaningful to me as a police officer, as a trooper who has also put my hand up,” Noble said.
An independent investigation into Delgado Garcia’s death is still ongoing.
“His death was almost a year ago, I think from a public standpoint, they’re wondering what’s taking so long.”
“I am essentially walled off from that investigation,” Noble said. “So I can’t speak to what’s taking so long. We have a duty to ensure that our troopers who are training now are in the safest environment possible. And we’ve taken some steps to get there.”
Noble says law enforcement experts from across the country are now at the academy watching training to see what other changes should be made.
“Any recommendations they make, any assessments that they make, we will certainly be prepared to take action,” Noble said.
Noble has many other changes he’s focused on. He calls it the “Excellence Initiative,” a strategy for higher standards, better communication, and closer ties with the public.
“The biggest challenge is, we need to align with the communities that we serve through the lens of public trust,” Noble said. “There’s a disconnect right now… That is predicated upon and driven by the recent scandals and the criticisms that have, rightfully so, come upon the Massachusetts state police.”
Part of building that trust is making sure the people wearing the badge better reflect the communities they serve.
“Our recruiting efforts needs to take a look at how we are recruiting, how we can meet and interact with our youth, particularly in the areas where we are underrepresented,” Noble said.
Noble says his mission comes down to one thing, earning trust everyday.
“As long as I’m here, a transparent state police is gonna be the way that we do business,” Noble said. “But as we move forward, the public, rightfully so, has a right to know what’s happening, how we’re doing it, and I would just double down on the fact that we are looking for that feedback and that we want to do this together.”
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