Defunct Massachusetts Police Agencies
Encyclopedia
The following defunct Massachusetts
police agencies were merged in 1992 by Chapter 412 of the Massachusetts Acts of 1991 to form the current Department of State Police
and are no longer in existence.
, which was founded in 1865; the M.D.C. Police, Registry of Motor Vehicles Police, and Capitol Police merged with this department to form the new Department of State Police in 1992 (Did not have to go through in-service training since the other agencies were merging with this one). Prior to being known as the Massachusetts State Police, the department was known as the Special District Police of Massachusetts from 1879 to 1919.
The R.M.V. Police had the primary function of enforcing motor vehicle safety laws statewide, drivers license testing, accident investigation, enforcing laws & regulations on Registry property, and commercial vehicle inspection.
The Registry Police Statewide HQ was located at 100 Nashua St., Boston.
The Capitol Police had the primary function of law enforcement on the grounds of the State Capitol building on Beacon Hill, in Boston, MA. The Capitol Police's station was inside the lobby of 1 Ashburton Place, which is adjacent to the State House. This station has since become MSP Barracks H-1.
The Metropolitan District Commission's Police Department; the Massachusetts Metro Police was created in 1893 and was formed before the Massachusetts State Police (created in 1921.) The Metro Police had the primary jurisdiction of law enforcement on all MDC controlled properties, roadways and all Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) facilities, Reservoirs and Watersheds. Additionally, the Metro Police had patrol jurisdiction on US Route 1 in Chelsea and Revere, Interstate 93 in Boston and Milton (Central Artery and the Southeast Expressway). The Metro Police also shared concurrent jurisdcition with communities throughout Greater Boston.
The Metro Police were the third largest police agency in New England with over six hundred officers working primarily throughout Metropolitan Boston. In addition to patrol functions the Metro Police provided tactical assistance to area cities and towns in the form of regional SWAT teams, the Marine Unit and tactical operations units. Examples include Tactical Officers assigned to the city of Boston during court ordered school desegregation, assignment as the primary security agency for the Department of State with the responsibility of providing security and escorts for visiting dignitaries and annual assignments to assist cities and towns during the Boston Marathon.
The Metro Police also maintained a full service detective unit to investigate crimes on its primary jurisdiction as well as providing Detectives and undercover agents to area cities and towns, the state Attorney Generals Office, the Norfolk and Suffolk County District Attorney's offices, area Drug Task Forces, the state Auto Theft Strike Force, the DEA Boston Drug Task Force, the Secret Service and the FBI.
The last chief of the MDC Police was former Boston Police Commissioner William J. Bratton
, who later was NYPD
Commissioner and Los Angeles Police Department
chief.
The following current Massachusetts State Police Barracks were MDC Police districts: MSP Barracks A4 - Medford (Middlesex Fells District); MSP Barracks A5 - Revere (Revere Beach); MSP Barracks H4 - Boston, next to Museum of Science (Lower Basin District); MSP Barracks H5 - Brighton on Soldier's Field Rd (Upper Basin District); MSP Barracks H6 - South Boston (Old Colony District); MSP H7 - Milton (Blue Hills District); MSP Barracks C7 - Belchertown (Quabbin District) .
Additionally, the following State Police Units are based out of former MDC Police facilities:
MSP Marine Unit (New Charles River Dam, Boston); MSP Canine Unit (Pond St., Stoneham).
The following former MDC police stations were closed in the first few years after the consolidation: Wachusett District (Wachusett and Sudbury Reservoirs and Watersheds); Nantasket Beach District (Nantasket Beach, Hull); Nahant Beach Substation (Nahant Beach); Mounted Unit Stables (Stoneham and Milton).
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
police agencies were merged in 1992 by Chapter 412 of the Massachusetts Acts of 1991 to form the current Department of State Police
Massachusetts State Police
The Massachusetts State Police is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security responsible for criminal law enforcement and traffic vehicle regulation across the state...
and are no longer in existence.
Department of Public Safety - Division of State Police
This is the former statewide police department for the Commonwealth of MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, which was founded in 1865; the M.D.C. Police, Registry of Motor Vehicles Police, and Capitol Police merged with this department to form the new Department of State Police in 1992 (Did not have to go through in-service training since the other agencies were merging with this one). Prior to being known as the Massachusetts State Police, the department was known as the Special District Police of Massachusetts from 1879 to 1919.
Registry of Motor Vehicles Division of Law Enforcement
The Registry Police Statewide HQ was located at 100 Nashua St., Boston.
Massachusetts Capitol Police
Metropolitan District Commission Police
The Metro Police were the third largest police agency in New England with over six hundred officers working primarily throughout Metropolitan Boston. In addition to patrol functions the Metro Police provided tactical assistance to area cities and towns in the form of regional SWAT teams, the Marine Unit and tactical operations units. Examples include Tactical Officers assigned to the city of Boston during court ordered school desegregation, assignment as the primary security agency for the Department of State with the responsibility of providing security and escorts for visiting dignitaries and annual assignments to assist cities and towns during the Boston Marathon.
The Metro Police also maintained a full service detective unit to investigate crimes on its primary jurisdiction as well as providing Detectives and undercover agents to area cities and towns, the state Attorney Generals Office, the Norfolk and Suffolk County District Attorney's offices, area Drug Task Forces, the state Auto Theft Strike Force, the DEA Boston Drug Task Force, the Secret Service and the FBI.
The last chief of the MDC Police was former Boston Police Commissioner William J. Bratton
William J. Bratton
William Joseph "Bill" Bratton CBE is an American law enforcement officer who served as the chief of police of the Los Angeles Police Department , New York City Police Commissioner, and Boston Police Commissioner....
, who later was NYPD
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
Commissioner and Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
chief.
The following current Massachusetts State Police Barracks were MDC Police districts: MSP Barracks A4 - Medford (Middlesex Fells District); MSP Barracks A5 - Revere (Revere Beach); MSP Barracks H4 - Boston, next to Museum of Science (Lower Basin District); MSP Barracks H5 - Brighton on Soldier's Field Rd (Upper Basin District); MSP Barracks H6 - South Boston (Old Colony District); MSP H7 - Milton (Blue Hills District); MSP Barracks C7 - Belchertown (Quabbin District) .
Additionally, the following State Police Units are based out of former MDC Police facilities:
MSP Marine Unit (New Charles River Dam, Boston); MSP Canine Unit (Pond St., Stoneham).
The following former MDC police stations were closed in the first few years after the consolidation: Wachusett District (Wachusett and Sudbury Reservoirs and Watersheds); Nantasket Beach District (Nantasket Beach, Hull); Nahant Beach Substation (Nahant Beach); Mounted Unit Stables (Stoneham and Milton).
External links
- M.D.C. Police / Massachusetts Metropolitan Police History and Photos
- French and Electric Blue Pictures of the Men and Women who served with the Boston Police, Metropolitan District Commission Police Department, Capital Police and Registry Police Departments
- Massachusetts Acts of 1991 Chapter 412 - "An Act to Consolidate Certain Police Forces in the Commonwealth"