TROOPER FORCE UNDER FIRE AFTER SCATHING OT AUDIT
The entire state police force is now under investigation, with an internal audit linking 21 current and former troopers to overtime abuse in 2016 expanded into a department-wide probe, and Attorney General Maura Healey pursuing potential criminal charges.
Massachusetts State Police Col. Kerry A. Gilpin announced the stunning development yesterday, saying she was “disheartened” and has expanded the probe to include the entire department in order to regain the trust of the public.
She said the number of paid OT shifts that may not have been worked ranged from 1 to 100 per trooper.
“We have provided the results of our audit to Attorney General Maura Healey. We expect that her office will review the information and take whatever action they determine to be warranted,” Gilpin said. “We are expanding this audit even further, to examine all traffic enforcement overtime shifts worked by department members in all troops. The point of that is to determine if there are any discrepancies between overtime paid, and actual patrols worked department-wide . ... It’s very disheartening, not just to me, but to all the hard-working members of the state police. To think that these alleged actions occurred, not just prior to me, but now under my watch . ... We are looking at all overtime totals to make sure this does not happen again.”
The audit initially scrutinized troopers in Troop E — based in four barracks and the Framingham headquarters, charged with patrolling the Massachusetts Turnpike and tunnel systems.
The audit into the 2016 overtime mishandling was launched by former Col. Richard McKeon. Gilpin was appointed to the top post in November by Gov. Charlie Baker following McKeon’s abrupt retirement after accusations he forced troopers to alter an embarrassing police report involving Alli Bibaud, the daughter of Dudley District Court Judge Timothy Bibaud.
Gilpin said 19 active troopers face duty status hearings in which punishments such as suspensions, with or without pay, can be levied against them. In total, 21 troopers were implicated in overtime abuse, one who is suspended without pay on an unrelated matter and another who retired prior to the audit’s conclusion, Gilpin said.
Gov. Charlie Baker yesterday called state police a “well-trained unit.” But said if troopers are found to have taken taxpayer money they didn’t earn via overtime, they will “face the music.”
“Clearly there are some people here who broke the rules, allegedly, got way beyond the bounds of what anybody would consider to be appropriate behavior and for those who are found to have committed what’s been alleged they should face the music,” Baker said.
The troopers involved were working overtime under a Troop E program called Accident and Injury Reduction Effort patrols that were discontinued last year, Gilpin said.
State police spokesman David Procopio said upon the conclusion of Healey’s investigation and a continuing internal probe of the troopers involved, they could face additional sanctions, including losing their jobs.
Dana Pullman, president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, said the department has been roiled by scandal the union blames on McKeon’s administration.
“The Department has been in turmoil over the last several months,” Pullman said in a statement. “We believe the customs and culture that was allowed to flourish under the previous State Police leadership has compromised the public’s perception and calls into question the integrity of the hard-working men and women of the Massachusetts State Police. Colonel Gilpin has been given the unenviable task of dealing with a myriad of untenable issues. SPAM will continue to seek resolution of these issues and work with her to earn back the public’s respect and trust.”