Many municipalities of Massachusetts have their own police departments, as do many colleges and universities.[1] Though most county governments have been abolished, each county still has a Sheriff's Department which operates jails and correctional facilities and service of process within the county.
The Massachusetts State Police have statewide jurisdiction, including full criminal law enforcement, Highway Patrol and traffic enforcement, investigation, and special air, marine, and tactical response. They share concurrent jurisdiction with municipal and institutional departments, and have primary jurisdiction in towns that have no local police force. State police divisions ("Troops") are dedicated to the Massachusetts Turnpike and Logan International Airport, and since 1992 the state police have had primary responsibility for the state capital building, facilities of the Registry of Motor Vehicles, and DCR parks. While State Police investigators have jurisdiction to investigate all crimes anywhere in the commonwealth, the Boston, Springfield, Worcester and Pittsfield police departments have been designated by the local district attorneys to investigate homicides under their direction.[2]
Though fully deputized in 175 cities and towns, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police have primary responsibility for MBTA facilities and commuter railroads statewide, and share enforcement duties (such as writing tickets for parking in bus stops) with local and state police, especially in remote areas and on Massport property, which is policed by the Massport Police. The Massachusetts Environmental Police[3] are also independent of the State Police.The horse mounted Boston Park Rangers patrol the hubs parks.
The US Coast Guard Station in Boston provides Law enforcement services in the ocean surrounding Massachusetts. Harbormasters in the area enforce the law in Massachusetts harbors.
Massachusetts Army National Guard has reserve CID agents who can investigate breaches of military and Federal law. At the same time the Massachusetts Fire Marshall has detectives who investigate suspicious fires and explosions. District Attorney offices often have officers or troopers assigned to them to assist with prosecutions.
Railroad police also have authority on railroad property. Railroad and ferry company employees may be appointed as special state police officers under Massachusetts state law, with jurisdiction on company property and vehicles.[4] Federal regulations[5] extend the authority granted by one state to a railroad police officer to all the states in which that railroad has property.
^Devlin, Owen F. "MassHome Directory of Massachusetts Police Department Web Sites". www.masshome.com. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
^Capeless, David (January 7, 2016). "State DAs decide who will investigate homicides". Quincy Patriot Ledger.
^OLE (2016-09-08). "Massachusetts Environmental Police". Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
^Massachusetts General Laws [Chapter 22C, Section 51 https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleII/Chapter22C/Section51]
^49 CFR 207
and 28 Related for: Law enforcement in Massachusetts information
county. The Massachusetts State Police have statewide jurisdiction, including full criminal lawenforcement, Highway Patrol and traffic enforcement, investigation...
lawenforcement agencies in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2008 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement...
the largest lawenforcement agency in New England. The MSP is headed by Interim Colonel Jack Mawn. The MSP was established by Massachusetts state governor...
of lawenforcement agencies in Maryland List of lawenforcement agencies inMassachusetts List of lawenforcement agencies in Michigan List of law enforcement...
defunct Commonwealth of Massachusetts police agencies (Registry of Motor Vehicles Division of LawEnforcement, Massachusetts Capitol Police, Metropolitan...
that in 2016 it used its SWAT unit twenty-six times. MetroLEC, like other such agencies such as the North Eastern MassachusettsLawEnforcement Council...
Full-time lawenforcement employees, by state by university and college, 2018: Massachusetts (Report). FBI. Jan 2020. Full-time lawenforcement employees...
Southeastern MassachusettsLawEnforcement Council, sometimes called "SEMLEC," is a regional mutual aid facilitator formed by thirty police agencies in southeastern...
punishment inMassachusetts Elder law (Massachusetts) Gun lawsinMassachusetts LGBT rights inMassachusetts Politics of MassachusettsLawenforcementin Massachusetts...
The Massachusetts Environmental Police is a Massachusetts, US, state government lawenforcement agency, which is the primary enforcement agency of Massachusetts's...
there are more than 340 names of lawenforcement officers who died in the line of duty. "MassachusettsLawEnforcement Memorial - Boston, MA - Police Memorials...
The Northeastern MassachusettsLawEnforcement Council or "NEMLEC" is a non-profit consortium made up of 63 police departments in Middlesex, Essex and...
of LawEnforcement Agencies in the state of Florida. According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2018 Census of State and Local LawEnforcement Agencies...
John's Catholic Church in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, along with Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino and Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney. Commissioner...
with no law requiring adults to wear seat belts in a vehicle. U.S. seat belt use laws may be subject to primary enforcement or secondary enforcement. Primary...
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service Office of LawEnforcement contributes to Service efforts to manage ecosystems, save endangered species, conserve...
services, funded through taxes. Lawenforcement is only part of policing activity. Policing has included an array of activities in different situations, but...
Outline of Massachusetts Index of Massachusetts-related articles Politics of MassachusettsLaw of MassachusettsLawenforcementinMassachusetts Judiciary...
Massachusetts is the branch of the government of Massachusetts that interprets and applies the law of Massachusetts, ensures equal justice under law,...
lawenforcement agencies in the state of Michigan. According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2008 Census of State and Local LawEnforcement Agencies...
Norfolk, Plymouth) or, in one case, (Nantucket County) consolidated city-county government. Vestigial judicial and lawenforcement districts still follow...
responsibility for lawenforcement and investigation within the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest municipal police department in the United States...
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office of LawEnforcement (NOAA OLE) is a federal police part of the National Marine Fisheries...
Regional LawEnforcement Council is a regional mutual aid facilitator formed by 43 police agencies in the area on or near Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It pools...
lawenforcement services for all Massachusetts Port Authority owned properties, including but not limited to Boston's Logan International Airport in East...
government. The officeholder is the chief lawyer and lawenforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The officeholder also acts as an advocate and...
Global Information