FALMOUTH, Mass. — A Cape Cod lawmaker who fought for municipal police training funding in Massachusetts is reacting to the inappropriate conduct investigation at the new East Falmouth Academy.
Boston 25 News broke the news earlier this week about the probe focusing on the facility that opened in January.
East Falmouth Academy Director Christopher Donelan, the former Franklin County Sheriff, and Academy Coordinator Edward Dunne, the former Falmouth Police Chief, have been suspended.
All staff instructors have been “temporarily removed” from their positions, and police training classes are now being taught by instructors from the six other academies across the state.
“It’s disappointing to hear reports of inappropriate, hazing behavior at this newly minted academy,” said Cape & Islands Senator Julian Cyr. “This municipal police training effort is too important. I’m glad it’s been addressed swiftly.”
Sen. Cyr is hopeful that years of efforts to open this facility won’t be overshadowed by the allegations involving the first class of recruits at the Cape site less than two months into their training.
“I’m grateful to the Healey-Driscoll administration for noticing the issue here with the inappropriate behavior,” he said. “Hopefully, we can correct course.”
Cyr. led charge in the Senate through the legislature to provide a stable funding stream for municipal police training back in 2018.
The funding later paved the way for the police training site and academy to open on the Cape.
“There was no training in the vicinity. People had to go to police academies far off the Cape. That’s a real burden for someone who’s trying to get trained for a new challenging role,” he explained.
There’s been an elevated focus on police training in the Commonwealth since the death of Police Trooper Enrique Delgado Garcia during a training exercise last year.
That case remains under investigation with many unanswered questions.
State officials are remaining quiet on the specifics of the inappropriate conduct allegations between staff and student officers at the East Falmouth Police Academy.
“The skills and tools that new police need to do this work. It’s compassion. It’s training around how to deal with people in crisis. That’s what we need to be focusing our attention and training on,” added Cyr.
Graduation for the first Cape-based recruit class is scheduled for June.
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