| Organization: | Office of the State Auditor |
|---|---|
| Date published: | December 26, 2024 |
Executive Summary
In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of the Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC) for the period January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022.
The purpose of our audit was to determine the following:
- whether MPTC developed and implemented the trainings required by Chapter 69 of the Acts of 2018 (also known as the Criminal Justice Reform Act) and Chapter 253 of the Acts of 2020 (also known as the Police Reform Law), which are codified in Sections 116 A–D and G–K of Chapter 6 of the General Laws;
- whether MPTC ensured that all MPTC-operated and MPTC-authorized training academies delivered a standardized training curriculum as required by Section 4(f)(1) of Chapter 6E of the General Laws; and
- whether MPTC processed permanent exemptions to, and temporary waivers of, training requirements in accordance with Section 3.03 of Title 550 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations.
Below is a summary of our findings, the effects of those findings, and our recommendations, with links to each page listed.
| Finding 1 | MPTC did not ensure that all training academies delivered a standardized recruit officer course (ROC) curriculum. |
| Effect | By not delivering a standardized training curriculum, MPTC provides inadequate assurance that all police officers in the Commonwealth have been exposed to the concepts, skills, and tactics that have been determined to be critical for effective policing by the law and MPTC. This may lead to inconsistent law enforcement practices, which may jeopardize the safety of the public and police officers because law enforcement officers may not be properly equipped to perform their jobs safely and effectively. This also creates financial risk for municipalities that employ officers who are insufficiently trained. |
| Recommendations |
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| Finding 2 | MPTC did not ensure that all ROCs were taught by certified instructors. |
| Effect | Without proper certification, instructors may lack the expertise or experience necessary to effectively teach the concepts, skills, and tactics that MPTC has determined to be critical for effective policing. This could lead to variations in the instruction that police officers receive, potentially impacting their ability to perform their jobs safely and effectively. |
| Recommendations |
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| Finding 3 | MPTC’s internal control plan (ICP) was not updated annually and did not address the impact of COVID-19 on its operations in accordance with guidance issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Commonwealth. |
| Effect | An ICP identifies objectives and risks and identifies control activities to mitigate risks that might prevent an agency from accomplishing its objectives in service to the public. Without updating its ICP, MPTC may not identify and/or mitigate all the risks, including those that resulted from the pandemic. |
| Recommendation | MPTC should establish policies and procedures, including a monitoring component, to ensure that its ICP is updated annually and when significant changes occur. |
In addition, during our audit we identified an issue regarding MPTC’s management of police officer training records (see Other Matters).
Table of Contents
Downloads
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Open PDF file, 977.27 KB, Audit Report - Municipal Police Training Committee (English, PDF 977.27 KB)
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Massachusetts State House
Room 230
Boston, MA 02133
Room 230
Boston, MA 02133