The Boston Globe front page article on the quota system:
"State Police had a quota system for issuing tickets, prosecutors allege
The Massachusetts State Police has repeatedly denied the existence of ticket quotas in recent years, but federal prosecutors outlined such a system last week."
Did I give the feds this tip?
5) Does the staties have a violation quota system? Do they gain incentives for mass stops and violations? Do they have a minimum number violations and stops, say per month, or they would be disciplined?
Reposted from 3/19/2018
***Note to the Mass AGO office
Was the senior officer on this site like the other overtime inflating officers. Was this stop just a excuse to inflate the senior officers income or a no show type of job.
Update:
Here we are out almost a year later... The Massachusetts State Police has just about imploded.
John Tlumacki/Globe staffBy Mark Arsenault, Travis Andersen and Shelley Murphy Globe Staff March 20, 2018Get immediate alerts on all breaking news, delivered via Facebook Messenger. Sign up here.ADVERTISINGFRAMINGHAM — In another black eye for the scandal-ridden Massachusetts State Police, 20 active troopers face potential sanctions for the apparent theft of overtime pay, with the most egregious alleged offenders putting in for as many as 100 no-show shifts, officials said Tuesday.In a state agency where 245 troopers — about 12 percent of the force — made more than $200,000 last year, an internal audit of Troop E, a division that covers the Massachusetts Turnpike, found “apparent discrepancies between overtime paid and actual patrols worked,” State Police Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, superintendent of the force, said at a morning news conference.Nineteen troopers face internal duty status hearings in the coming days to determine whether they’ll be suspended, Gilpin said. Another trooper who was already suspended for another matter and a retiree are also being investigated.AdvertisementGilpin said that she couldn’t put a dollar figure on the amount of disputed overtime, but that the number of questionable overtime shifts per trooper ranged from one to “as high as 100.”State Police officials said they have reported their findings, which stemmed from an investigation launched last fall, to Attorney General Maura Healey’s office for review and potential prosecution.
Coming on the heels of several other high-profile controversies in recent months, news of the purported overtime scheme quickly stirred outrage.Governor Charlie Baker, who appointed Gilpin to head the agency last November, said the superintendent “made a pretty clear statement that this sort of activity and this sort of behavior is not going to be tolerated.”Baker said that overall the State Police are “a strong, good, well-trained unit.”“But clearly there’s some people here who broke the rules, allegedly, and got way beyond the bounds of what anyone would consider to be appropriate behavior,” Baker said. “And for those who are found to have committed what’s been alleged, they should face the music.”The department’s previous superintendent, Richard McKeon, and his deputy, Francis Hughes, retired in November after revelations that McKeon had ordered an arrest report changed to remove embarrassing information about the daughter of Judge Timothy Bibaud. A lawyer for McKeon has said he ordered the deletions to remove unnecessary information.Baker and Healey have each announced investigations into the handling of the police reports.Two more high-ranking officials linked to the redactions – Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Risteen and Major Susan Anderson — retired suddenly in February. Their retirements came a day after the Globe reported that Trooper Leigha Genduso had been hired despite having been a coconspirator in a 2007 drug case and having avoided charges by testifying. Genduso, whom multiple sources said was Risteen’s former girlfriend, was suspended after the disclosure.On Tuesday, the union that represents troopers, the State Police Association of Massachusetts, said it does not condone any actions that may have violated the public’s trust.
“The department has been in turmoil over the last several months,” Dana Pullman, president of the union, said in a statement. “We believe the customs and culture that was allowed to flourish under the previous state police leadership has compromised the public’s perception and calls into question the integrity of the hard-working men and women of the Massachusetts State Police. Colonel Gilpin has been given the unenviable task of dealing with a myriad of untenable issues.”…
So here I sit with both eyes having a cataract operation. Even though I got no speeding ticket, I suspected widespread corruption with the state police system. I got a pretty good sniffer for detecting corruption.
reposted from 2/23
Update April 5
Got my cataract operation two weeks ago. Unbelievably better sight in my
Update Feb 28
I had that phone interview with the state police complaint interviewer. He was a very pleasant person to talk with. We agreed there was no issues with the officer who gave me the complaint. I told him the office was very courteous to me who gave me the warning.
The interviewer was kind of like a typical black and white police officer. His job was to just evaluate if a member of the public had a issues with a police officer. The officer basically didn’t have a issue with staging SUVs on a interstate to give the opportunity to search a car. I said it was piss poor with doing this in rush hour and in the dark. Why couldn’t you send a message during daylight? He said crimes occur in the dark and during rush hour. I just wanted the facts. He thought that area of I 91 might have traffic accident reputation. I asked him does the move over law work. He ask me for facts as we spoke, he kept throwing at me one speculation after another. He had no idea if the move over law reduces officer deaths.
The big remaining issues, big picture:
1) What was the state trooper strategy with all troopers on the highway on my day of the warning?
2) Does the move over law work as intended. Does it reduce officer fatalities?
3) He blew me off with, does the move over law favor the police officer’s life better than a member of the public?
He talked about all accidents of the road and the highways being so dangerous. Right, just tell me the facts. The highways are extraordinary dangerous. Just saying, our overall accident and fatality rates have drastically declined from twenty year ago.
Questions for interview. I am a science and data guy! I never have any confidentiality or anonymity needs!!
1) Why is one life valued more than another life. Why is a police officer's life valued more than another other life? Why isn't there a requirement when any car is in the breakdown lane, all cars must move to the outside lane? I'll bet you there are much more public fatalities and injuries with a car in the breakdown lane than all police offer's injuries fatalities and injuries.
2) It's a federal highway. I never heard anything about the move over law before this incident. How many other states have the move over law? If this is such a life saving law, why isn't it mandatory on all federal highways? The vast majority of states have a move over law.
3) There is always unintended consequences with rules and laws. Is anyone keeping track of traffic accidents and incidents associated with the move over law? Say a car moving to the outside lane and hitting another vehicle or going into a side?
4)I'd like to see all the data associated from this state police project. The offence happened at 6:15 pm on 2/22/17. Say 12 hours before and 12 hours after offence. 10 miles before and after citation on I 91. Like all violations, citations, warnings, arrests, times, models of cars and vehicles and maybe even nationality. I'd like to analyzes commonalities.
5) I was driving my son's car. It's a tiny tiny Mazda car associated with a particular segment of society. Basically young people. Was a small segment of our population targeted for a move over stop because it more fruitful to the police.
6)They could be severely abusing a legitimate law to do a illegal search. Was all move over violators stopped and given citation including warnings? Are they picking and choosing move over violators? Mindfulness: If the troopers intentionally set-up/staged those cruisers in that I-91 spot to selectively stop move over violators, then all the stops and violations are unconstitutional. Was the police cruisers staged on the road for a hidden agenda? The intent of the project was to do searches and stops, not to protect police officers. If the Staties chose that area because of poor visibility, around corners and obscuring terrain...the intent was to create stops for a hidden agenda.
update March 19 2019
Feds disclose there was a quota system and the Mass state police have been lying to us all saying there wasn't a quanta system.
"Were Mass. State Police troopers in OT scandal told to fill ticket quotas? Agency denies new allegation in federal court filing"
By Scott J. Croteau | scroteau@masslive.com
Massachusetts State Police troopers working specialized overtime patrols – the patrols authorities say were part of the overtime abuse scandal – were expected to write at least eight citations per shift, federal prosecutors wrote in a recent filing.
A state police spokesman told MassLive in a statement that the department “has no policy or operating procedures that establish quotas, and does not endorse a quota system.
“Under the leadership of Colonel Gilpin, the Department has implemented several reforms, including the elimination of Troop E and AIRE Patrols, and has referred 46 troopers to federal prosecutors for alleged overtime abuse," state police spokesman David Procopio said.
In a sentencing memorandum for former Trooper Eric Chin, one of several troopers who were charged in the overtime abuse investigation, federal prosecutors Mark Grady and Dustin Chao said troopers working Accident and Injury Reduction Effort patrols – known as AIRE – were “expected to issue a minimum of 8-10 citations for each AIRE shift.”
“Any failure to issue the required number of citations had to be explained to supervisors and command staff,” prosecutors wrote. “Repeated failures to meet this quota often resulted in a trooper being blocked from receiving such overtime opportunities.”
The memorandum does not mention how the prosecutor attained this information. MassLive reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for clarification.
Eight troopers were charged in federal court on embezzlement charges in connection with the overtime investigation. Chin is one of several troopers who pleaded guilty.ted 9:17 AM; Posted Mar 18, 5:34 PM
5) Does the staties have a violation quota system? Do they gain incentives for mass stops and violations? Do they have a minimum number violations and stops, say per month, or they would be disciplined?
6) Why was the two cruisers, all police lights flashing, bumper to bumper in the breakdown lane...what was their stated and hidden purpose on the highway? There was no other vehicle in the area in the breakdown lane.
7) What message was state police management trying to send to the greater public during this project with all these police vehicles and officers and troopers.
8) How many police vehicles was involved in this project? I count at least five. The two cruiser position who cited me, another cruiser in the breakdown about three miles north of the first position in the breakdown lane with police flasher lights on (no vehicles near him pulled over), then another cruiser in the breakdown lane in another three miles. I seen a state police flasher also on the opposite side(southbound)of I 91. I count at least five vehicles.
9) Basically the whole project was effectively entrapment...
10) I am telling you with any complex and high consequence organization...the direct road to perdition is mindlessly meeting minimal intent of the law or any rule for a secret or hidden agenda. We would be a destructively chaotic and ungovernable nation if everyone just met the minimum intent of any rule or law. All moral people have a much higher calling...
11) I am shocked I didn't know about the move over law. My 21 year old son can be astonishingly stupid. I asked him, on I-91, do you know what the move over phrase means? He immediately recognized the phrase. He scoffingly responded to me, you can't be in the furthest
right hand lane with a police officer's car in the breakdown with flashing lights. We had a very difficult period with roundabouts when he had his learners permit.
12) Has the law been effective at reducing police officer fatalities and injury? Basically paid organizations supporting the troopers have pushed the law into being. Is it a scam law allowing the organizations to show the police officers they are getting their monies worth?
Update Feb 24
Amazingly quick response? Thanks Spfld Union newspaper.
MSP Citizens Response Reports (POL) <citizensresponsereports@MassMail.State.MA.US>Update
To Michael Mulligan Today at 9:03 AM
We are in receipt of your citizen response report. A complaint intake officer will contact you within the next few days to discuss your concerns. Thank you.
Sent a complaint to the state police through this link.
Citizensresponsereports@pol.state.ma.us
See, something is fishy with the wholesale police stops last night? A ruse to stop people. He spoke as if it was a new law.
Move Over Law Protects First Responders
In Massachusetts the Move Over Law aims to make police, firefighters, paramedics, tow truck drivers, and all roadside emergency and maintenance professionals safer on the job. The Move Over Law, which took effect March 22, 2009, requires drivers approaching a stationary emergency or maintenance vehicle with flashing lights to move to the next adjacent lane if it is safe to do so, and, barring that, to reduce their speed. Failure to comply could result in a fine of up to $100.
Every year, first responders across the country are injured or killed on the job while providing emergency help and, this summer six Massachusetts state troopers were injured in as many weeks. One trooper died from his injuries. All citizens are asked to make a personal pledge to always move over to make Massachusetts roadways safer for everyone.
So at about 11 am I am driving down to Springfield. I notice state police positioned in many areas down the interstate. A police helicopter is patrolling the roads for speeders or something worst like terrorism. It is way abnormal. That is when I pose to myself...are we in some kind of terrorism alert.
Springfield Massachusetts and Holyoke are probably the largest Mecca for illegal aliens in the state per population.
I am heading home in the dark at about 6:30 pm. I am a bit
nervous…well, I am on a heightened state of alert because of my vision and my
rusty driving skills on the interstate. I am driving very conservative. By the Holyoke
Mall, on the far side of a curve, I see a police car with lights flashing ahead of me. I think he pulled somebody or is
helping a community member stuck on the breakdown lane. There was police lights flashing big time
abnormally. There is two police cruisers next to each other on the breakdown
lane. I am doing about 60 MPH and in the right lane. I am a truck driver.
Typically I am in the habit of moving over to the left lane with any car on the
shoulder of the road especially as a curtesy to the police The highways are extremely dangerous territory. You are
risking your life pulling over to the breakdown lane. I have spent a lot of
time driving tractor trailers and being broken down on the highways. You have
to be in a extreme state of alert when walking around your truck in the
breakdown lane. There are a lot of crazies on the road. The stories I got...
A mile past the two flashing light cruisers, I am being
pulled over by the cops. I wait for a
open area where I can safety stop for the cop. I get passed the breakdown tar and onto the
dirt and mud for the protection of the statie. I put the dome light on and turn the off the car.
I open my driver window. I put my hands on the top of my steering wheel. I don’t fool
around with any cop…I want him to feel comfortable with me from the get-go. I teach my children this. A
few extra seconds pass by, I don’t see the cop in my side mirror. I hear
somebody yelling at me to open my window. What the hell? He is standing aside
my passenger window. This seems to be a highly abnormal stop procedure. I am
thinking, where is the cop who’s supposed to be on my side?
He was a decent cop. He opens with, didn’t you see us pulled
over on the side of the road? I knew I wasn’t spending. I thought a tail light
was burnt out. He told me Massachusetts has a new law where you are required
get in the outside lane when any car is pulled over in the breakdown lane. I
said, I seen your flasher on ahead of me, its heavy traffic...I didn’t want to
make any quick moves to the outside lane. I said with stern voice, this whole deal is unsafe.
This isn’t a good stop. I get a strong verbal tone, Well, Mr. Mulligan, it is the law. He asked for my
papers and license…then took them to the cruiser. I am thinking I am getting a
$150 ticket because I got a bit mouthy with the cop before the decision of the
ticket was made. He gave me a warning.
I said sir, either we are under a secret national security alert
or you are fishing for heroin. That is what you are doing here. I sincerely
thanked him for doing his dangerous job. He scoffingly laughed at me as he left. As
I was coming up to speed, I noticed another statie positioned on the other side
of the road in their breakdown lane. Three miles up the interstate on my side was
another state police officer with flashers in the breakdown all by himself.
Then another one in another three miles? I have never seen this level of state
police activity on I 91.
I think the Ma police safety law is on the books. Personally I think in this situation with the “police
officer safety law” is a ruse to do a illegal search and seizure on large
numbers of citizens. I am terrible
concern with this. It’s the gaming of the legitimate law and the slippery slope
I am worried about. Why is the first instincts of the bureaucrats to prevent
needless injury and deaths to police officers... is to infringe on my constitutional
rights with illegal search and seizure? Where is all the big signs on the
interstate warning us of this new law. Why are’t the airways flooded with the
notification of this law?
I think this is a government system issues, not a driver
issues. I think the breakdown lanes are too small. Why haven’t they mandated
the police use the passenger window and then see if this limits state police
interstate injuries and deaths? If this stop really was driver training on the
driver, why do this in rush hour and in the dark? If this was really safety
related they would do it this way. Why not do a stop like happened to me
without checking any data base? Is the game really not wanting to raise taxes of infrastructure projects, so the cheaper way to protect the cops is to infringe on our constitutional rights. Right the slippery slope...
Possibilities
1)
It is a illegal alien trap? Look at the media
background with Trump’s presidential order on illegal aliens and there are police
traps to catch them? I agree with Trump’s policies on illegal aliens. Traps
like this certainly would make all illegal aliens nervous. Will there be
unintended consequences with this?
2)
The trap is a illegal fishing expedition for
heroin.
3)
We are in a national security alert and they are
looking known terrorist.
I am a big picture man. I agree for the police to intrude on
my constitution guarantees on fighting threats to the public, my family and me
on all three of these possibilities. Honestly heroin is such a big threat, I
would agree for the government to monitor all phone and media traffic for the
express purpose of fighting heroin. As far as heroin/gang counties like Mexico
and Columbia, I would threaten total embargo and financial catastrophe if they
can’t control the gang or heroin production within their boarder.
