Misconduct problems continue to dog Massachusetts State Police

By Sam Drysdale

The Massachusetts State Police “clearly has a misconduct proliferation problem,” its leader said on Sunday, responding to a volley of questions about recent scandals at the agency. 

Those issues began “obviously before I got here, and will continue and has continued through my time here, and I believe that’s why I’m here, to come in and give a fresh perspective. I don’t believe that it’s a culture problem,” Colonel Geoffrey Noble said on WCVB’s “On the Record.” 

Noble was brought on as the superintendent of the State Police in October 2024 after a career in New Jersey State Police, marking the first time the agency hired a leader from outside its internal ranks. He was heralded as a reformer and arrived after a series of scandals that deeply tarnished the agency’s reputation, including an overtime pay scandal uncovered via internal audits, the Karen Read investigation and the death of academy recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia during a boxing training exercise at the State Police Academy in New Braintree. 

However, headlines have continued about controversies at the agency that have fueled questions about accountability. 

Sgt. Scott Quigley remained on duty for months after allegedly drunk driving in an unmarked cruiser and crashing into a van in Woburn in 2023, a collision that killed passenger Angelo Schettino. He pleaded not guilty and his criminal trial is on track to begin in early 2027. The agency also came under intense scrutiny after racist, sexist and homophobic text messages sent by former Trooper Michael Proctor during the Karen Read investigation became public, ultimately leading to his firing. 

Most recently, the department was again thrust into the spotlight last week after reports that two off-duty troopers were involved in a violent altercation at a Quincy bar in June, with one trooper relieved of duty as the incident remains under investigation. 

Following the most recent news, the News Service asked Noble last week about ongoing scandals and whether the agency is discussing reforms or retraining troopers. 

“Every day. Every day, every day,” he said. “We understand that the commonwealth expects the Massachusetts State Police to operate at the highest levels. We expect the Massachusetts State Police to operate at the highest level.”

The News Service asked Noble about the ongoing problems following a press conference in Gov. Maura Healey’s office Thursday related to creating a new license plate honoring the memories of fallen law enforcement officers. That same day the Essex County District Attorney’s Office released its final report on the investigation into a wrong-way crash in May that resulted in the death of Massachusetts State Police Trooper Kevin Trainor. 

When Noble emerged from the press conference to speak to reporters, his spokesperson said he would only take questions on the DA’s report about the trooper’s death. 

When the News Service caught up with him after to ask about reform, Noble said, “Every single day, we’re evaluating our operations, where we’re doing well. We’re building off it and enhancing, and where we can do better, we are learning from it. But that conversation occurs every day with a great team in place, and I’m very confident that we’re continuing to make significant progress.”

A few days later on WCVB’s “On the Record,” he faced more questions about the issues at the agency. 

WCVB anchor Ed Harding asked about the Quigley case, saying “The allegation that Quigley was drunk did not come to light until this year. The victim’s family is suing, claiming a police cover-up. Forgive the simple nature of the question, but was it a cover-up?”

Noble responded that there are multiple ongoing investigations, and he can’t comment on the specifics. 

“That said, this is a very serious allegation,” he said. “Since I have been here, I have had zero tolerance for misconduct. I will continue to have zero tolerance for misconduct.” 

Since he started, the agency has been “incorporating internal controls to monitor and manage our own performance to ensure that we are operating at the highest standards possible.” 

Reporters also asked about the Read investigation. A recent lawsuit cites a series of audio messages where Proctor used derogatory slurs for Black people, demeans women and makes homophobic and antisemitic comments. 

WCVB played an audio message for Noble, attributed to Proctor, which the Read lawsuit alleges Proctor said to another trooper following a car crash, “Actually, take your time, I saw a [expletive] was involved, so I wouldn’t rush if you’re working. Let them die.” 

“You’ve called the messages disturbing. Now, how can people trust what happened here isn’t happening with other troopers?” reporter Karen Anderson asked.

“Well, first, I have been a state trooper essentially my entire life. That recording and the messages that we have seen are just repulsive and repugnant for me on a very personal level,” Noble responded. “That said, as the colonel of the state police, that seeing them comes with a reality and a reminder of the obligation that I have and this department has to continue to do everything that we can do to ensure that that type of behavior, that type of bigotry, does not exist in a modern-day police force.”

Proctor had worked on “hundreds and if not thousands of cases” Noble said, so he said the agency has been proactive in working with district attorneys to “be out front on this” in “reviewing our cases” that Proctor was involved with, which might now be challenged in light of his alleged comments. 

Noble delayed the start of the 93rd recruit training class at the New Braintree State Police Academy following the death of trainee Enrique Delgado Garcia in 2024. He said the pause allows the agency to implement 103 safety reforms recommended after the deadly incident. 

Asked Sunday about the timeline for a new training class, Noble said the agency has identified 31 priority recommendations “to ensure that before we start the next class that we have the safest training environment possible.”

“I’m very confident that we will be able to give the green light to start the 93rd training academy in short order. I’m not there yet. I won’t do so until I’m confident those 31 recommendations are in place. That said, I’m very confident that we will be able to get there very soon,” he said.