Pre-Hearing Conference In the Matter of Stanley Clerge
Case No. 2024-020
Via Zoom
Presiding Officer: Hon. Judith A. Cowin (Ret.)
Respondent’s Counsel: Kevin B. Coyle, Esq.
Enforcement Counsel: Timothy D. Hartnett, Esq.
Pre-Hearing Conference In the Matter of Thomas Heller
Case No. 2024-045
Via Zoom
Presiding Officer: Hon. Charles J. Hely (Ret.)
Respondent’s Counsel: Robert D’Auria, Esq.
Enforcement Counsel: Timothy D. Hartnett, Esq.
Hearing In the Matter of Stanley Clerge
Case No. 2024-020
Via Zoom or in person* at the POST Commission, Ellison Conference Room, 84 State Street, Suite 200, Boston, MA 02109
Presiding Officer: Hon. Judith A. Cowin (Ret.)
Respondent’s Counsel: Kevin B. Coyle, Esq.
Enforcement Counsel: Timothy D. Hartnett, Esq.
Portions of the hearing will be temporarily closed to the public, pursuant to 555 CMR 1.10(4)(a)2. to protect the privacy interests of minors, and in accordance with a protective order signed by the Hearing Officer on September 16, 2024.
* Members of the public can attend this hearing in person or remotely. All in-person attendees must adhere to the Commission’s policy prohibiting weapons in Commission offices and designated facilities.
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.
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.
This proceeding has been cancelled.
Suspension Hearing In the Matter of William Chu
Case No. 2024-003 Pre-Hearing Conference in the the Matter of Robert Devine (via Zoom)
Presiding Officer: Hon. Kenneth J. Fishman (Ret.)
Respondent’s Counsel: Robert W. Stowe, Esq.
Enforcement Counsel: Shaun Martinez, Esq.
Case No. 2024-035 Pre-Hearing Conference in the Matter of Omar Connor (via Zoom)
Presiding Officer: Hon. Charles J. Hely (Ret.)
Respondent’s Counsel: Joseph P. Kittredge, Esq.
Enforcement Counsel: Amy C. Parker, Esq.
Case No. 2023-015 Hearing in the Matter of Matthew Hubbard (via Zoom and in person)
Presiding Officer: Hon. Charles J. Hely (Ret.)
Respondent’s Counsel: Kevin B. Coyle, Esq.
Enforcement Counsel: Timothy D. Hartnett, Esq.
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.