Overview
According to Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC) officials, before July 1, 2021, the effective date of police reform in the Commonwealth, MPTC maintained records of completion of all recruit and in-service training that it delivered to law enforcement officers. These training records were maintained both in physical form (hardcopy) and in an electronic database. One individual at MPTC headquarters was responsible for overseeing these records. MPTC officials also told us that before July 1, 2021, they attempted to collect and maintain records of the completion of training delivered to law enforcement officers by outside sources such as police departments and other MPTC-authorized training providers. However, they emphasized that, at that time, there was no statutory requirement to do so. Beginning on July 1, 2021, Chapter 253 of the Acts of 2020 required MPTC to “maintain records of training for all officers for whom the committee sets policies and standards for training.”
During our audit, we made several observations that raised concerns regarding the security and integrity of MPTC’s training recordkeeping system. Specifically, we noted that although MPTC maintains its hardcopy training records in a locked room at its headquarters, it does not maintain an access log to track who accesses the room, when, and for what purpose. We also noted that some training records appeared to be stored haphazardly—stacked on metal cabinets, without any apparent filing and retrieval method in place. In addition, we experienced several instances during our audit where hardcopy training records that we requested in order to perform our audit work were missing, not readily available, not properly filed, incompletely prepared, or not certified when required (as previously noted in this report).
With an increase in public scrutiny and growing legal liabilities in modern law enforcement practice, we believe it is crucial that MPTC maintain a complete, accurate, and secure training recordkeeping system. Without an organized recordkeeping system, which would include a formal access log, training records are more vulnerable to inappropriate and/or unauthorized access. This compromises the integrity of the records and could lead to (1) officers attending training where the physical records become lost, destroyed, or misfiled, resulting in their failing to receive appropriate credit for training or (2) officers being inappropriately certified or appearing to have completed training they never received because the recordkeeping is unreliable. Additionally, if there is a dispute regarding the integrity of training records, such as the one highlighted by the Civil Service Commission relative to the Methuen Police Department, the lack of an effective recordkeeping system makes it more difficult to resolve these issues definitively.
MPTC should consider transitioning the preparation and maintenance of training records to its Acadis system. Transitioning to digital recordkeeping will improve the transparency and integrity of the recordkeeping process and ensure that MPTC complies with relevant laws and regulations.
Auditee’s Response
When police reform legislation (Chapter 253 of the Acts of 2020) went into effect at the end of 2020, the scope of the MPTC’s duties and responsibilities expanded from roughly 14,000 law enforcement officers to over 20,000 law enforcement officers, and for the first time included a statutory mandate to maintain training records, including training records for the thousands of officers not previously within the MPTC’s scope. In response to this new mandate, the MPTC established a Records Division and staffed it with Records Analysts who, over the past four years, have spent thousands of hours improving police training recordkeeping. Today, every active law enforcement officer in the Commonwealth who is certified by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) has an on-line training account in Acadis that reflects proof of their basic training (Police Academy or exemption) and the status of their annual in-service training.
For thousands of veteran officers who graduated from a Police Academy prior to 2018-2019, Records Analysts searched through the Records Room file cabinets on the second floor of MPTC headquarters, extracted relevant records when they were located, and when they were not located, worked closely with employing departments to obtain proof of an officer’s graduation from a Police Academy, or an exemption from that requirement. Once graduation/exemption records were located, they were electronically scanned into each officer’s on-line Acadis account.
For thousands of newer officers who have graduated from a Police Academy since 2018-2019, there is an electronic transcript in each officer’s Acadis account verifying completion of their basic training.
Commencing on or about July 1, 2022, the MPTC started requiring MPTC-authorized Police Academies to electronically enroll their student officers through Acadis, thus ensuring that all student officers, regardless of whether they attend an MPTC-operated or MPTC-authorized Police Academy, have an online Acadis account at the start of their police career. Further, as noted in a separate Auditee Response, Acadis is increasingly being used to create, record, and retain police training information electronically using webforms, which are replacing the historical use of hardcopy forms retained in records room file cabinets.
Lastly, state record retention laws require the MPTC to maintain historical records, many of which are in the locked Records Room on the second floor at MPTC headquarters. Consistent with the Auditor’s recommendation, the MPTC has contracted to improve security on the second floor at MPTC headquarters. Electronic keypads have been installed on hallway doors leading to the locked Records Room door, and the locked Records Room door itself will now have a new electronic keypad. These keypads limit access to MPTC employees only. Unlike the existing keypads, which utilize fob access and retain access data in a manner and for a period of time that is controlled by the MPTC’s landlord, the new electronic keypads will require MPTC employees to enter their assigned unique identification number, and the recording and storage of that information will reside with the MPTC’s Facilities Manager.
As the Auditor’s Report correctly notes, it is crucial that the MPTC maintain a complete, accurate, and secure training recordkeeping system. The MPTC has taken concrete, substantive steps towards achieving this important objective.
Auditor’s Reply
Based on its response, we commend MPTC for taking measures to address our concerns regarding this matter.
| Date published: | December 26, 2024 |
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