New “Blue Star” license plate coming for families of fallen Massachusetts officers

By Katie Castellani

Massachusetts has a new license plate honoring the memories of fallen law enforcement officers. 

Gov. Maura Healey signed legislation (S 2903) Wednesday directing the Registry of Motor Vehicles to offer a “Blue Star Families” plate for free to family members of law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty. The RMV is also tasked with creating a Blue Star Family emblem for motorcycle plates.

“This is about the families,” Healey said during a bill-signing ceremony where she was surrounded by law enforcement officers, state officials and family members of those who have died in the line of duty.

The bill was signed on the eighth anniversary of the death of Weymouth Police Sergeant Michael Charles Chesna, who was reportedly shot and killed with his own service weapon while responding to reports of an erratic driver near South Shore Hospital.

“To all of the families in the room, I want you to know that I understand that this is a pain that you carry with you every single day. You feel that loss. You feel that void. And one of the things we want to do is make sure that others understand the sacrifice that your family has made,” Healey said. “And that’s why this legislation, this act, is so, so important. And I know it doesn’t bring your loved one back, and there will be forever that void every minute, every hour of the day. Today is a way to acknowledge that and also to celebrate lives of service, lives of courage, lives of sacrifice, and the families who support and enable all of that.”

The House and Senate unanimously passed the legislation on Monday.

“This is a great token of appreciation for the families that will be gone forever, and more so, it sends a message to our men and women in law enforcement that someone does care in our Legislature,” said Frank Frederickson, director of governmental affairs for the Massachusetts Fraternal Order of Police.

John Nelson, legislative director and first vice president of the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, said the law has been in the works for more than a decade. Nelson said the legislative process “takes its time” and this year families of law enforcement officers reaching out to representatives and senators helped push the bill onto the governor’s desk.

Nelson added the new license plate is “simplistic, but at the same time, very meaningful.”

“I know that when I see that plate, that’s going to mean something extra special as they ride by, knowing that their family made the ultimate sacrifice,” Nelson told the News Service.

Healey said the RMV is opening applications on Wednesday for families to get the license plate.