Falmouth Rep. Wants to License Police Officers

police carFALMOUTH – A Falmouth legislator wants to form a commission that would create policing standards and training mandates and require police officers to be licensed.

State Representative David Vieira, who also served as the former deputy in the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office, is pushing the legislation that would also cause officers who engage in misconduct to lose their license.

The commission, if approved, would be made up of representatives from the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee, Massachusetts District Attorney’s Association, Massachusetts Police Association and the Massachusetts Harbormasters Association.

Vieira said there has been some opposition to the legislation.

“There are differences in opinion as there is in any system and any change, but the three major police unions sat and testified with us in favor of the bill,” said Vieira.

The commission would then provide oversight of the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) system that Vieira wants to institute in the state.

The bill was released from committee two weeks ago and is awaiting assignment from the house clerk.

The bill will either be sent to the calendar of the house or it will be sent to the ways and means committee before it will be advocated to chair of the committee to bring it to the floor and will be advocated to the speaker to bring it up for a vote.

“It’s a resolve to put together a broad base of stakeholders to write the actual enacting legislation of a POST system and with that, comes the credentialing of law enforcement officials, but also the ongoing training and the revenue dedicated to make sure that the training is available for our officers,” said Vieira.

By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter

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