Governor Healey names new head of Massachusetts State Police

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey today announced that she has selected retired Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble of the New Jersey State Police as the next Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police. His selection comes as a result of a national search led by a Search Committee and executive search firm. 

“Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Noble has dedicated his career to public service, rising to the highest levels of the New Jersey State Police and delivering results on some of the most pressing issues facing law enforcement. He is a principled, respected leader who is widely praised for his integrity, compassion and ability to bring people together. I’m confident that he is the leader that our hardworking State Police team and the people of Massachusetts deserve,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I also want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to Colonel Jack Mawn for his stellar service and his steady leadership during this interim period. He has earned the respect of his colleagues, and all who work with him, as well as the public, for his professionalism, his work ethic and his integrity. He is a model for all of the men and women of the Massachusetts State Police and for the generations of troopers to follow.” 

“Lieutenant Colonel Noble stood out as a candidate who has successfully navigated challenges during his 30-year career in law enforcement and never wavered in his commitment to making sure everyone’s voices were heard, finding common ground and delivering solutions,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “We look forward to the future of the Massachusetts State Police under his leadership.” 

“On behalf of the team at the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, I look forward to welcoming Lieutenant Colonel Noble to Massachusetts and partnering with him as we work toward our shared goal of protecting communities statewide,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “As a friend and colleague, I also want to extend my most heartfelt gratitude to Colonel Jack Mawn. His strong leadership, steady guidance, and significant contributions during the interim period have been invaluable to the State Police and those they serve. The Commonwealth owes Colonel Mawn its sincere appreciation for his exceptional life of service.” 

“I’ve long admired the Massachusetts State Police, and it is a true honor that Governor Healey has placed her trust in me to lead this distinguished team of law enforcement professionals,” said Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble. “The hardworking men and women of the State Police show up every day to keep the people of Massachusetts safe, and they deserve a leader who is accessible, transparent and committed to the highest standards of integrity and excellence. That is the focus I will bring as Colonel.” 

Noble is expected to assume leadership of the Massachusetts State Police in October. Colonel John E. Mawn, Jr. has been serving as Interim Colonel since February 2023. 

An agency within the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the Massachusetts State Police is responsible for statewide law enforcement and maintains investigative, tactical, and support units across Massachusetts. With more than 3,000 sworn and civilian employees and an operating budget of approximately $500 million, MSP is the largest law enforcement agency in New England and has an instrumental role in promoting public safety throughout the 351 Massachusetts cities and towns. 

Geoffrey D. Noble’s career in law enforcement spans 30 years, with 13 years of command-level experience, including serving as Deputy Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police from 2018-2022. In this role, he was the second-in-command of New Jersey’s largest police agency, with a staff of nearly 4,000 personnel. He served as the agency’s Chief of Staff and assisted the Superintendent with the oversight of all Division operations, including Administration, Operations, Homeland Security, Emergency Management, Training, Professional Standards and Investigations. During his tenure as Deputy Superintendent, he implemented a new Office of Employee Relations and Community Outreach, which focused on strengthening relationships with employees and communities. He also regularly provided briefings to all levels of executive government, including the Governor and Attorney General. 

During his tenure with the New Jersey State Police from 1995-2022, Noble held numerous assignments including uniformed patrol, field training officer and detective. His investigative assignments included narcotics, official corruption, organized crime and homicide. He was the Commander of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Shooting Response Team, which was responsible for investigating the use of deadly force by police. He also provided instruction at numerous local police academies and special courses, including coordinating the New Jersey Advanced Homicide Investigators Conference, a premier advanced training course for homicide detectives from across the country. 

Noble also spent two years holding the rank of Major as the Commander of the Forensic and Technical Services Section. He was entrusted to manage the operations of five regional state crime laboratories in the wake of a systemic failure that had resulted in the dismissal of thousands of cases. Noble implemented a comprehensive mitigation plan that increased quality control standards, improved accountability and maintained the integrity and confidence of the statewide forensic laboratory system. He also designed and implemented new systems to improve efficiency, resulting in the elimination of a 17,000-case backlog. Noble also designed and implemented the New Jersey Crime Gun Protocol, a nationally recognized best-practice which helped provide the foundation for the state’s violent crime reduction strategy that saw a 30 percent reduction in shootings. 

Prior to joining the New Jersey State Police, Noble served for two years as a Summer Police Officer in Nantucket, Massachusetts. 

Since retiring from law enforcement in 2022, Noble has worked as Regional President for Inter-Con Security Systems, Inc., one of the top 10 private security firms in the world. In this role, he manages operations in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic area of over 1,500 security professionals servicing multiple agencies and corporations. His portfolio includes the management of private security programs at multiple high-risk critical infrastructure sites, including JFK International Airport, LaGuardia International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and the World Trade Center. 

Noble was born and raised in Rhode Island, spent much of his childhood on Cape Cod, and currently lives in New Jersey with his wife Sara and three kids Lauren, Geoffrey Jr., and Grady. He will be relocating to Massachusetts. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Education from Seton Hall University, a Certificate of Achievement in Criminal Justice from the University of Virginia and graduated from the FBI National Academy.