BOSTON — Within minutes of Gov. Charlie Baker announcing him as the next colonel and superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, Lt. Col. Christopher Mason began laying out some of the steps he plans to take to rebuild public trust in the beleaguered agency when he takes command.
A 26-year veteran of the State Police from Barnstable, Mason will take over Friday for Col. Kerry Gilpin, who is retiring after two years running the agency during a time of scandal and turmoil. Mason said he is proud of the State Police and that other troopers “have consistently told me that they want to be the ones to restore the prestige and the stature of the Massachusetts State Police.”
“I am optimistic and energized about the future of the Massachusetts State Police. That optimism is based upon and supported by the incredibly brave and dedicated work the State Police perform individually and collectively … they are some of the finest police professionals anywhere,” Mason said at a State House press conference.
“Today, I’ve introduced some key themes and initial reforms that I would like to get started on immediately. In the coming weeks, I plan to present additional reforms that will deepen the department’s commitment to improve accountability, increase diversity and restore public trust.”
Mason has served in the No. 2 role at the State Police since earlier this year and he has worked in multiple roles, including as a detective and as director of the Fusion Center, which coordinates intelligence with multiple state and federal law enforcement agencies, throughout his State Police career.
“Over the past few days I’ve had several conversations with Colonel Mason about the challenges that remain at the department and his plan to right the ship and restore public trust,” Baker said Wednesday. He added, “Colonel Mason is eager to get to work to further reforms in the department, build public trust and expand transparency. I’m sure that he will follow through on his commitments and work with the men and women across the department to get the job done. We are also confident that Colonel Mason has the experience, leadership and vision to keep moving the Massachusetts State Police in the right direction.”
Baker and Mason both said the new colonel will begin by seeing several of the reforms Gilpin put in motion through to completion, including finalizing programs for vehicle tracking devices in all State Police cruisers and body cameras for troopers.