Gov aims to restore trust in troopers
Gov. Charlie Baker told the Herald yesterday he believes he is on track to restore people’s faith in the beleaguered Massachusetts state police, a day after three state troopers appeared in federal court in handcuffs and leg irons on embezzling charges.
“The biggest thing to restore the public trust is what’s been done here,” Baker said about the stunning spectacle of manacled troopers brought before a judge on Wednesday.
U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling says the investigation is just getting started into the allegations of overtime abuse by troopers. Baker said the idea that any troopers who committed crimes would be punished for them will help get the state police as a whole back into Massachusetts residents’ good graces.
“The investigation is still ongoing,” Baker said after an event in Brockton.
A state police audit that started nearly two years ago has already flagged about 40 troopers with questionable overtime claims in 2016, resulting in retirements and hearings.
Baker said he doesn’t really know how troopers managed to pull off such an allegedly elaborate scheme to defraud the state.
“I’m not very clear on the ‘how’ piece,” the governor said.
On Wednesday, three troopers — former Lt. David Wilson, 57, of Charlton, former trooper Paul Cesan, 50, of Southwick, and suspended trooper Gary Herman, 45, of Chester — were arrested by federal agents at their homes at dawn on embezzling charges. They were released without bail after pleading not guilty during their arraignments in U.S. District Court in Boston.
All three troopers worked for Troop E, the unit tasked with patrolling the Mass Pike that was disbanded amid a massive overtime abuse scandal — just one of a series of recent scandals dogging the agency.
Baker cited the move to get rid of Troop E as well as an overhaul of the staties’ overtime-granting process as ways the force is being reformed.
State police Col. Kerry A. Gilpin has said the agency is cooperating with federal and state investigators looking into the alleged overtime fraud and is auditing more years of overtime shifts claimed. Baker’s office said the administration is also bringing in an outside consultant to “conduct an independent management review.”