MASSACHUSETTS — The audit of the Mass Police Training Committee looks at its practices between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2022. The auditor says they did not ensure all training academies delivered a standardized recruit officer course curriculum, saying this could lead to inconsistent law enforcement practices, potentially jeopardizing the safety of both the public and police officers.

"Unfortunately, what we found was files left out on filing cabinets, disorganization, a significant lack of processes and procedures," said State Auditor Diana DiZoglio in an interview with Spectrum News 1 Thursday.

DiZoglio says her office's audit of the committee was part of a campaign promise. Her office's two-year dive into the MPTC found nearly a quarter of the 406 lessons audited were taught by instructors not properly certified.

"They were sometimes not receiving missing persons training or sexual assault training," DiZoglio said. "Things like that, which is obviously very important and very concerning if they're not receiving those important trainings as recruits."

Findings also include the committee did not update the internal control plan annually, or address the impact of COVID-19 on its operations.

As of 2020, the MPTC was training more than 20,000 of the state's police officers.

Anna Maria college professor James Duggan has decades of experience in law enforcement and says an audit like this is an opportunity for the MPTC to better hone their craft. 

"In the long run, I think it's going to make police officers better," said Duggan. "It's going to make policing better. You can look at this as a kind of sharpening the saw, right? That police officers are going to have to pay more attention to the details."

The MPTC said in a statement to Spectrum News 1 they appreciate the thorough and diligent work of the auditor's office, and look to continue to set the standard in regard to training. A spokesperson would go on to say: 

"As a small, but dynamic agency, we take great pride in the significant strides we have made over the recent years to improve operations, adapt to evolving demands including police reform and support law enforcement officers in their critical roles of protecting our communities."

"We need to make sure those who are conducting trainings actually have the appropriate training themselves," said DiZoglio. "And then we need to make sure that our new recruits for these police officers are receiving the training that is expected by law." 

The Healy-Driscoll administration announced a new executive director for the committee in December. DiZoglio says she plans on following up with them in roughly six months to see how what improvements have been made.