Massachusetts established the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission in response to the 2020 racial justice movements to improve law enforcement accountability.
Over four years, it has certified thousands of officers and decertified 61 for misconduct or crimes. The commission standardizes policing and oversees local departments, joining other states with similar bodies.
A recent report by police reform expert Carlton T. Mayers II evaluated POST commissions in 10 states. Massachusetts received mostly positive grades but failed in three areas: public access to meetings, independent investigations of officer complaints, and transparency on ongoing decertification cases…