NEW BRAINTREE, MA – Following a brief closure earlier this year at the Massachusetts State Police Academy stemming from a trainee’s death in 2024 that spurred a review of academy operations and training protocols, academy classes are reportedly slated to resume following what officials have described as “major” reforms to enhance trainee safety and selection.
As previously reported in Law Enforcement Today, the Massachusetts State Police Academy was closed this past May pending the implementation of certain reforms outlined in a 110-page report stemming from a review performed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police regarding the 2024 death of Trooper Enrique Delgado-Garcia.
Trooper Delgado-Garcia reportedly passed away during a series of boxing exercises at the academy, and a criminal investigation into the incident has since led to four MSP personnel, Sgt. Jennifer Penton, Trooper Edwin Rodriguez, Trooper Casey LaMonte, and Trooper David Montanez, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
While the criminal case is still ongoing, the Massachusetts State Police Academy received 103 recommendations to update its training and screening protocols to help prevent similar incidents. Outside of the boxing program that was already permanently ended prior to the furnished report, officials say 22 of the recommendations have already been implemented, with an additional nine nearing implementation. Officials say the goal is to implement all the suggested reforms.
Among the slated reforms coming to the academy include some departures from the traditional paramilitary environment, such as abandoning the use of the title “drill instructor” for those overseeing physical training. Additionally, MSP have established a modernized series of graduation standards to help ascertain who is and isn’t ready to graduate from the academy.
Given the circumstances surrounding Trooper Delgado-Garcia’s 2024 passing, MSP officials have also implemented concussion awareness and response training, alongside allocated periods each day to allow recruits to rest and recover.
MSP Superintendent Colonel Geoffrey Noble said of the changes, “The Massachusetts State Police Academy has a unique responsibility to impart the knowledge, skills, judgment, and leadership trainees need to meet the demands of modern policing and serve the public with honor and professionalism. We recognize that implementing these recommendations requires a sustained commitment to raising standards and challenging longstanding practices.”
Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina Kwon also issued a statement on the updated practices at the academy, saying, “Supporting the men and women who serve on the front lines means ensuring they receive the training, leadership, and resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. These reforms are an important investment in the next generation of State Troopers, the communities they serve, and public safety across the Commonwealth.”
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