Public Meeting

Meeting summary: The Subcommittee reviewed a proposed revised set of recertification regulations under 555 CMR 7.00. Discussions included a proposal to require completion of in-service training as an additional certification condition, and clarification of the statutory standard that officers must be “of good moral character and fit for employment in law enforcement.” The meeting also addressed a memo and proposed survey focused on assessing officers’ physical and psychological fitness.

Meeting Agenda (PDF)

Meeting materials (PDF)

Meeting recording

Meeting Materials (PDF)

Public Hearing Comments on CMR 12:00: Maintenance, Reporting, and Audits of Law Enforcement Records and Information (PDF)

Comments on Law Enforcement Agency Certification Standards (PDF)

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Commission Advances Use of Force Standard, Reviews Overdue Agency Reports and FY24 Spending

At its latest meeting, the POST Commission approved the draft Use of Force standard for inclusion in the certification regulations for law enforcement agencies. The draft includes clarifications on key principles, updates on de-escalation requirements, and guidance to help agencies develop compliant policies.

The Commission also received an informational presentation on the Use of Force Reporting standard, which outlined reporting requirements for use of force incidents, excessive force allegations, public complaints, investigative procedures, record and evidence maintenance, and training.

As part of its ongoing oversight, the Commission identified three categories of records that require agency updates through the LEA portal: open complaints and incident reports overdue by more than 90 days, internal affairs reports closed but pending disciplinary action, and public complaints forwarded to POST that are awaiting agency responses. Currently, 84 agencies have at least one outstanding report, with Massachusetts State Police, Boston Police Department, Springfield Police Department, and Lawrence Police Department each having more than 10 records to update.

The legal team introduced a revised draft of 555 CMR 12.00, governing the maintenance, reporting, and auditing of law enforcement records. The updated version incorporates feedback from public comments and stakeholders.

In financial news, the Commission reported final FY24 spending at $7.6 million—90% of the allocated budget. For FY25, the largest anticipated expenses include payroll, information technology, and office space.

Meeting Materials (PDF)

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Commission Holds Brief Public Session Before Entering Executive Session

The Commission opened the meeting with a brief public session before entering executive session to discuss confidential matters.

Meeting Agenda (PDF)

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Commission Approves Key Policy Updates, Reviews Complaints and Recertification Standards

The POST Commission approved several major updates and reviewed ongoing initiatives related to officer certification, complaint trends, and fitness standards.

In its semiannual report, the Division of Standards reported receiving an average of 30 public complaints and more than 10 agency-submitted complaints per week between January 11 and September 30, 2024. Additionally, the Division updated the Commission on active preliminary inquiries, suspensions, and decertifications.

The legal team presented revisions to the 555 CMR 12.00 regulations, reflecting stakeholder input and feedback from a public hearing. The Commission approved the updated draft with further changes based on that engagement.

Recommendations from the Subcommittee on Certification Policy were presented following seven public meetings held from February to October 2024. The discussions focused on the upcoming 2025 recertification cycle and covered topics including draft recertification regulations 555 CMR 7.00, the structure and timing of recertification, physical and psychological fitness, in-service training, oral interviews, examinations, and performance reviews.

The Commission updated the definition of “conditional certification” to require it in cases where an applicant cannot obtain full certification due to hardship, approved leave, or unmet training requirements. However, they prohibited conditional certification in cases involving more serious failures, such as a failed background check, felony conviction, or lack of character and fitness.

The legal team also outlined the regulatory requirement that officers demonstrate good moral character and fitness for employment. The Commission discussed the handling of “unsubstantiated” versus “credible” complaints, with some members cautioning against dismissing patterns of allegations that may not have been substantiated but could signal larger issues. Others emphasized fairness to officers and the risk of over-relying on unproven complaints. The Commission agreed to seek further clarification before holding a vote.

The legal team raised a policy question to the Commission about whether appointing authorities should be required to submit a written explanation for an officer’s positive attestation. Under current rules, only negative attestations require written justification. Commissioners discussed whether extending this requirement to submit positive written attestations may create an undue administrative burden, particularly for larger agencies. The Commission will continue this policy discussion in future meetings.

The legal team presented an updated use of force draft standard revised with feedback from the MPTC. The Commission asked to further review feedback for future discussion.

To support future policy development, the Commission approved a new survey on officer physical and psychological fitness to be distributed to agencies with a one-month response window. Results will be reviewed at a future meeting. In addition, a panel discussion featuring six experts on officer fitness standards will take place on October 18, available both in person and virtually.

The Commission also received an update on FY26 budget development. The team is preparing a maintenance budget due to the Administration and Finance Office by October 22, ahead of the Governor’s budget filing on January 22, 2025.

Meeting Agenda (PDF)

Meeting Materials (PDF)

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Commission Reports Progress on Complaint Resolution, Hears Updates on Key Policy Terms

At its recent meeting, the POST Commission highlighted ongoing progress in closing overdue complaints. Executive Director Enrique Zuniga reported that only 14 agencies still had outstanding complaints, with 11 of them having just one pending case—a significant improvement since the last update. He also announced a new project to collect and publish data on officer commendation letters.

The Commission hosted an in-person panel on October 18, 2024, focused on officer physical health and fitness. Key takeaways included evidence that officers typically enter the profession in better shape than the general population but often leave less physically fit. Lower fitness levels were also linked to increased likelihood of using disproportionate force.

The legal team presented several regulatory updates. The Commission corrected an error in the 555 CMR 1.01 regulations governing procedural rules, and voted to adopt 555 CMR 12.00, covering the maintenance, reporting, and audits of law enforcement records. These regulations were published in the Massachusetts Register and took effect on November 8, 2024.

The Commission addressed two key policy questions. First, it voted in favor of using the term “credible allegations” rather than “substantiated allegations” when evaluating an officer’s character and fitness. Second, it considered whether to require appointing authorities to provide written explanations for positive attestations. After discussion, the Commission voted not to endorse that requirement at this time.

The POST Commission also reviewed two additional key policy questions. First, Commissioners considered whether to continue using the same approach as the initial recertification cycle. Second, they discussed whether physical fitness and behavioral health requirements for recertification should differ from those for initial certification. After deliberation, the Commission agreed to gather more information before taking a vote.

Meeting Materials (PDF)

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Meeting Summary: Approval of minutes from the October 1 , 2024 and December 19, 2024 meetings.

Public Meeting #9 December 19, 2024 8:30 a.m.

Meeting Agenda (PDF)

Meeting Materials (PDF)

Meeting Minutes December 19, 2024 (PDF)

Commission Marks 2024 Milestones, Sets 2025 Priorities, Reviews Survey Results on Officer Wellness

The POST Commission closed out 2024 with steady growth, the recertification of nearly 6,000 officers, seven Certification Subcommittee meetings on character, fitness, and officer wellness, and the launch of a new website. Other achievements included rolling out the disciplinary records portal with monthly updates and issuing new auditing regulations.

Looking to 2025, priorities include increasing Division of Standards case activity, finalizing agency certification standards, launching a business intelligence tool to improve reporting and analytics, and developing a law enforcement agency audit program.

The Commission also approved a FY26 budget request of $9.5 million, an 8% increase over FY25.

The Commission received a detailed presentation on the results of a recent survey sent to LEA heads examining agency resources, challenges, and standards for officer physical fitness and behavioral health. A survey of 213 mostly small to mid-sized agencies revealed that 180 have no physical fitness requirements, with common barriers cited as time, cost, and limited resources. On behavioral health, 127 agencies reported no requirements, and respondents highlighted stigma, cost, and cultural challenges as key obstacles. Commissioners urged expanding officer-centered wellness resources, adding annual wellness checks, and addressing misconceptions about mental health and decertification.

The legal team presented the revised code of conduct standard, incorporating MPTC feedback to expand definitions of “de-escalation” to include critical thinking, trauma-informed practices, and cultural relevance. Commissioners gave preliminary approval to accept the code of conduct standard as a preliminary draft.

Meeting Materials (PDF)

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