Police Officers Must Acquire Certification In MA's Reform Bill

Under a new bill proposed by Governor Charlie Baker in the wake of protests calling for accountability of law enforcement, police officers in Massachusetts will be required to get a certification for their license.

In a story from WWLP/22 News in Springfield, this is merely step one towards implementing a package of police reforms.

Governor Baker said, “This bill will create a more modern, more transparent, more accountable system for law enforcement training. It will ensure that the men and women who cannot live up to the high standards we expect them to uphold do not stay on the force.”

The licensing system will require police and other law enforcement officers to get certified every three years. A database will be created to track those standards statewide. And the general public will be allowed access to certain database information, including certification status.

Officers would lose their licenses if they improperly use force or fail to intervene when fellow officers use excessive force.

The bill would create incentives to improve police training programs and promote de-escalation to better serve their communities. Massachusetts is currently one of the few states that do not have strict licensing requirements for law enforcement.

For more on the story, check it out on WWLP/News 22's website here.

We kindly thank them for the update.