A Debate in Print Between Charles Bailey and Jeff Roy #1

Above, Charles Bailey, Jeff Roy.

Long-time Franklin-Medway State Rep. Jeff Roy and challenger, Charles Bailey, both from Franklin, have agreed to an in-person debate, tentatively scheduled at the Medway Middle School, 45 Holliston Street, on Friday, Oct. 8 at 7pm, sponsored jointly by the Democrat and Republican Town Committees

In addition, both candidates agreed to participate in a debate -- responding to questions suggested by Observer readers -- in writing, in the Observer. One question and the candidate's respective responses will be published for a total of seven weeks leading up to the election.
The sequence of responses will be altered each week (eg Roy first then Bailey first).

The First Question:

“What
do you think needs to be done to reform the Massachusetts State
Police? Or, what would you try to do as a legislator to reform the
State Police?”

JEFFREY ROY: The
legislature has, and will continue to use, a multi-faceted approach
that emphasizes transparency, accountability, and modernization of
the State Police.

In
2020, the legislature passed
a new law that
includes a certification system for police officers, public access to
police misconduct investigation records, and reporting of police
violence. It also established four permanent commissions, increased
accountability and transparency in law enforcement, and gives police
departments a greater ability to hire or promote only qualified
applicants.

The
legislation included key provisions of the State Police reform
legislation that the Baker administration filed, including tools to
improve accountability and discipline within the department. The
language gave the governor, for the first time, power to pick someone
from outside the ranks of the State Police to helm the agency. And
Governor Healey used that new authority to hire Geoffrey D. Noble of
New Jersey earlier this month.

The
new law also creates a new civilian-led police oversight board –
the Massachusetts
Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission –
with subpoena power and decertification authority. The nine-member
independent state entity has the authority to
establish policing standards,
certify law enforcement officers, investigate allegations of
misconduct, and suspend or revoke the certification of officers who
are found by clear and convincing evidence to have violated its
standards.

On
training and education, the Massachusetts
State Police Academy provides
extensive training opportunities to new recruits and in-service law
enforcement. I have toured the facility and participated in the
training to see firsthand how the best practices are implemented.

CHARLES BAILEY:  I do not feel there
is a need to reform the Massachusetts State Police. Rather, as a
legislature I would want to fund additional training and education
for our officers. 

I’ve worked
alongside and trained with Troopers from the State Police and law
enforcement officers from other agencies my entire career. I am proud
to call them all brother & sister. My opponent and his colleagues
were quick to throw Law Enforcement under the bus after the terrible
George Floyd incident. The excessive force used by those officers was
inexcusable and while those officers involved should be held
accountable for their actions, my opponents and his colleague’s
irresponsible calls of “Defund the Police” through the media and
the passing of the Massachusetts Police Reform Law put all our law
enforcement officers in harm’s way. These actions have damaged law
enforcement’s credibility and now the same legislatures think they
are qualified to overhaul it through reform.

The Governor
recently appointed an outsider to the top position in the
Massachusetts State Police for the first time in the agency’s
storied history. It has been my experience that culture change occurs
from within, not by introducing an outsider who isn’t aware of how
certain issues emerged. There must be someone in the ranks that is
qualified, big on accountability , and has the respect of all the
Troopers as a leader. This is nothing more than a control move and a
means of deflecting failed leadership by the Governor, who my
opponent supports unconditionally.

On a side note; I
was a member of CONTOMS (Counter Narcotics and Terrorism Operational
Medical Support) class #116 alongside members of the MSP STOP Team.