Public Meeting

POST Reports Progress in Officer Training Compliance, Announces Administrative Suspensions

The Executive Director began the meeting with a training compliance overview. The Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC) provides 26 hours of in-service training annually—delivered either in person or online—along with 8 hours of firearms instruction and 6 hours of CPR. Agencies must report compliance to MPTC by September 30. Officers who fail to complete the required training will face administrative suspension, with certification reinstated once training is completed.

POST outreach to 356 officers who had not met in-service requirements proved largely successful. As of this meeting, only 14 officers had unresolved training discrepancies, and POST administratively suspended six of them.

In November 2024, MPTC flagged irregularities in the completion times of certain online training courses, affecting up to 487 officers from training years 2023–2025. MPTC directed agencies to review any officers with time discrepancies. Early findings indicate that 5%–10% of these cases require follow-up, which may result in disciplinary action or administrative suspension. Although many discrepancies had reasonable explanations, MPTC will require officers with unresolved issues in TY25 to retake the course in person.

The financial team reported that POST has committed over 48% of its budget for the second quarter of FY25. The Governor will release the FY26 budget next week, and POST is preparing to deliver its budget testimony.

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Commission Reports Complaint Reporting Backlog, Streamlines Recertification, and Discusses Potential Oversight of Constables

Executive Director Enrique Zuniga opened the meeting by reviewing agency reporting compliance and overdue cases. Several agencies have exceeded the 90-day extension for open complaints, closed cases, and incident reports with pending discipline. Boston Police Department accounts for most of the overdue complaints, partly due to the Commissioner’s review of each case, which extends the timeline. Despite the backlog, more agencies are submitting reports faster, and overall open complaint report numbers are declining. The Commission will begin issuing quarterly reports tracking progress on closing open cases.

Commissioners also reviewed a proposed expedited plan for recertifying officers with last names A–H, whose certifications expire on July 1, 2025. The process will be significantly streamlined, and the LEA portal is set to open May 1. Officers will now be recertified on a three-year term plus their birth month, following a timeline structure previously approved by the Commission.

The Commission addressed concerns raised during a recent community meeting in Worcester about the legal status of constables. POST clarified that under M.G.L. c. 6E, any constable who executes arrests must be certified. Currently, no constables are certified. POST will begin collecting records from departments that employ or collaborate with constables to build a statewide database and assess future enforcement measures.

A financial update showed a potential $600,000 budget reversion for FY25. The Governor’s FY26 budget proposal includes an $8.92 million appropriation, $570,000 below POST’s original request. The Legal Division also provided updates on the recertification process.

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Commission Reviews Officer Fitness and Wellness Survey Results, Advances Use of Force Reporting Standards, Announces Streamlined Recertification Process

The Legal Division shared results from a January survey of 60 police unions, developed with MPTC input, aimed at assessing current support for officer physical fitness and behavioral health. Survey responses showed broad union support for on-site gyms and on-duty exercise time, with moderate officer participation in fitness programs. The Cooper test emerged as the most commonly used fitness standard across both unions and agencies, echoing results from a previous agency survey conducted in November 2024.

Unions identified key barriers to behavioral health support, including stigma, fear of negative job consequences, time constraints, and concerns over POST reforms. While unions and agencies agreed on physical fitness benchmarks, they were sharply divided on behavioral health standards. Nearly half of union respondents opposed any formal mental health or wellness checks, citing concerns about privacy and intrusiveness.

The Legal Division also presented updates on the draft policy for voluntary relinquishment of certification and proposed revisions to Use of Force reporting standards. Commissioners requested further clarification on the status of the draft before voting to preliminarily approve the standards.

The Commission introduced a streamlined process for the upcoming recertification of incumbent officers with last names A–H whose certifications expire July 1. Under the revised system, POST will verify in-service training completion directly with the Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC). Agencies must report any changes in employment status, disclose outstanding disciplinary issues since the officer’s last certification, and confirm the officer’s fitness to serve.

The Commission also discussed efforts to track agency constables and considered whether to further define police duties and functions in regulations.

The meeting concluded with an administrative update announcing the release of POST’s annual report.

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Commission Advances Streamlined Process for Officer Recertification, Adopts Voluntary Relinquishment Policy, Reviews Proposed Officer Response Procedures

The POST Commission reviewed the process for the second round of officer recertification, covering approximately 8,000 officers with last names A–H. Staff reported a streamlined process focused on confirming officer details and noting any changes since their previous certification. Moving forward, certification terms will last three years plus the officer’s birth month. The LEA portal will reopen May 5, 2025 to process applications. The Commission reminded agencies to report all job status changes, as officers not linked to an agency will be marked “Expired” when their certification ends.

The Division of Standards provided a semi-annual update, reporting 359 public complaints and 410 agency-submitted cases from October 1, 2024, through March 30, 2025. Staff review an average of 30 new public complaints and 17 agency reports each week.

The legal team presented updates on several standards, including use of force, officer response procedures, investigatory stops, traffic stops, and the code of conduct. Commissioners voted to adopt the draft policy on voluntary relinquishment of officer certification, which outlines the process and consequences of an officer choosing to give up certification.

Finance staff reported that 66% of the FY25 budget has been committed and shared updates on FY26 budget planning and upcoming legislative testimony.

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Commission Prioritizes Officer Wellness, Advances Juvenile Standards, and Grants First Voluntary Relinquishment

At this meeting, the POST Commission reaffirmed its commitment to officer wellness, emphasizing the psychological toll of law enforcement and the need for education, peer support, and stronger mental health resources. Guest speaker Dr. Tracie Goodness highlighted the impacts of trauma and PTSD, while Commissioner Hanya Bluestone advocated for mandatory wellness standards and support for officers and their families.

The legal team presented research on officer physical fitness and outlined key principles for draft juvenile operations standards, encouraging public feedback.

The Commission approved its first application for voluntary relinquishment of certification and postponed discussion of the National Decertification Index policy to the next meeting.

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POST Commission Invites Public Comment on Robert V. Choquette’s Voluntary Relinquishment of Certification Application

Commission Approves NDI Policy, Explores Officer Fitness Standards, and Announces New “Restricted” Certification Status

The POST Commission approved a new policy for sharing information with the National Decertification Index (NDI), a nationwide registry that tracks law enforcement officer decertifications.

Commissioners also discussed officer physical fitness in relation to recertification. They reviewed research showing that officers typically begin their careers in peak physical condition but often leave the profession less fit than the general population. The Commission explored potential standards, resources, and incentives to support wellness throughout an officer’s career, including considerations for age and breaks in service. These discussions may inform future regulatory changes.

The Commission also introduced a new “restricted” certification status for officers not currently affiliated with a law enforcement agency.

In other updates, the Division of Finance and Administration reported $8.07 million in FY 2025 budget activity, with an expected year-end reversion between $620,000 and $674,000. The agency currently employs 51 staff members.

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Meeting Summary: 

The executive director reviewed the significant progress that the Division of Certification has made in processing recertification applications for officers with certifications expiring July 1, 2025. He also discussed updates to the Officer Disciplinary records database, as well as complaint/incident reporting trends, including overdue complaints without an extension, cases closed with discipline pending, the average number of days where discipline is pending, the total number of cases/complaints, and cases with approved extensions. The Boston Police Department led with the highest number in each category. 

Legal Division staff celebrated Counsel Evert Fowle’s selection to the Boston Bar Association’s Public Interest Leadership Program. Staff also presented on U and T Visas and outlined law enforcement agency obligations, as well as resources for those seeking visas. Staff presented on the Agency Certification initiative, specifically a revised draft of the Officer Response Procedures standard, which incorporated feedback from the Municipal Police Training Committee. New elements of the draft included enforcement quotas and immigration matters, including provisions around U and T Visas.  

Lastly, Division of Standards staff introduced proposed updates to complaint reporting procedures, specifically creating a clearer definition between minor and serious matters.  The proposal aims to improve agency reporting compliance and streamline internal processes. Further discussions on this are expected at a future meeting.  

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Meeting Summary:

The executive director gave an update on the Officer Disciplinary Records database, including efforts to improve uniformity and detail of records. He announced that complaint summaries will be added to the database on a rolling basis moving forward for new complaints (not historical). He also shared information on past and upcoming speaking engagements, and touched on recent critical incidents involving officers, which highlight the hazards of the profession.  

Finance and Administration Division staff provided a FY25 financial report. Final spending came in around $7.98 million, representing about 91% of the funding budgeted to POST for FY25. Staff also provided an overview of the FY26 spending request, which originally was for $9.5 million. The Governor’s budget included a reduction of 6% and the Conference Committee’s final budget included an additional 1% reduction. Staff submitted its spending plan to the Executive Office of Administration and Finance and expects to receive feedback in early October. Staff is waiting to see if the legislature will approve a request to use $74,000 in unspent money from FY25 for FY26. The largest expenses for FY26 are payroll, information technology, and office space rent. POST aims to have 60 employees by the end of FY26. 

Legal Division staff presented on three Agency Certification standard drafts. First, staff shared a second round of revisions for the Officer Response Procedures draft, which included feedback from the Municipal Police Training Committee. Commissioners voted to preliminarily approve the draft standard. Second, staff shared revisions to the Criminal Investigation Procedures draft, which was last presented in April for initial feedback. Lastly, staff introduced the Detainee Transportation draft standard for the first time. The presentation provided a high-level overview of key aspects, such as officer conduct, transport vehicles, searches, restraints, and supervision. 

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Meeting Summary: 

After the public meeting was called to order, the Commission proceeded into a closed executive session.  

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