List of defunct law enforcement agencies of Massachusetts
The following defunct Commonwealth of 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.
Department of Public Safety - Division of State Police
This is the former statewide police department for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 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 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.
Massachusetts Capitol Police
The Capitol Police had the primary function of law enforcement on the grounds and adjacent streets of the State Capitol and all state property. The Capitol police provided vehicle cruiser, motorcycle and traffic patrols, criminal investigations and executive protection services. The Capitol Police station was at 1 Ashburton Place in Government Center and became MSP Barracks H-1.
Metropolitan District Commission Police
The Metropolitan District Commission's Police Department; the Massachusetts Metro Police was created in 1893. 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 had full jurisdiction 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,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).
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"