PRESS RELEASE
Indictment of Former Union Head Adds To Concerns About State Police Integrity
The arrest by the FBI this morning, of former State Police Union head Dana Pullman and a state house lobbyist, heightens concerns about the integrity of the Massachusetts State Police. The arrest follows Pullman’s resignation last September, which came amidst a Federal investigation into alleged misuse of union funds for personal benefit. The revelation that a lobbyist has also been indicted suggests that a wider pattern of corruption may exist. These revelations come in the wake of several indictments of State Police personnel for overtime abuse at the former Troop E – Massachusetts Turnpike.
The Massachusetts Association For Professional Law Enforcement, an organization of current, former and retired police officers, and criminal justice educators, re-affirms its call for a “Blue Ribbon Commission” to conduct a stem to stern review of the State Police. Reviews have recently been called for safety concerns on the MBTA, and malfeasance within the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The on-going revelations about integrity issues involving the State Police rise to the same level of public concern, and equally warrant a comprehensive review of the Department’s management and operation by an outside, independent entity.
The Massachusetts State Police is an indispensable element in the public safety matrix of agencies that protect this Commonwealth. It is essential that the general public have complete faith and confidence in its integrity. There is also an obligation to the honest and hard-working Troopers, who risk their lives daily, to ensure that they are being effectively and honestly led. Today’s revelation will undoubtedly contribute to a further deterioration of trust and confidence in the Department. This must be arrested, and it can only be done by the commission of a competent, comprehensive and public inquiry into the manner in which this agency conducts itself.
Dennis J. Galvin
President
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“The Law Will Never Be Respected Until Those Who Enforce It Are”
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