The agency that oversees allegations of police misconduct in Massachusetts said Monday that the Boston Police Department has demoted a deputy superintendent because of his appointment.
The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission says Eddy Chrispin was demoted last week from his command position to sergeant detective "due to his recent appointment as a POST Commissioner."
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The POST Commission said Chrispin was appointed in June, an act it says "fulfills the statutory requirement of having an active law enforcement officer chosen by the Attorney General from nominations by the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers (MAMLEO) on the Commission."
A source who works at the City of Boston tells NBC10 Boston that police leadership gave Chrispin an ultimatum to resign from the POST Commission or take a demotion.
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On principle, Chrispin would not step down, the source said.
The agency, established by a criminal justice reform law in 2020, maintains lists of disciplinary records, suspensions and decertifications for Bay State police officers. It handles claims of misconduct like those against Trooper Michael Proctor, who was suspended Monday by the Massachusetts State Police following his testimony in the Karen Read murder trial.
"We see no legitimate reason why Commissioner Chrispin’s appointment to the POST Commission should result in his demotion," the agency said in a press release Monday. "This unwarranted decision by the BPD sets an unfortunate precedent and undermines the decisions of the appointing and nominating authorities while also undermining POST's work toward police reform."
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In a statement posted to MAMLEO's website under the banner of "We stand with Eddy," the union called for "the immediate reinstatement of Eddy Chrispin to his command staff rank, for the promotion of officers of color off of the existing civil service exam list, and for a expeditious stop to the bewildering retaliation practices that have sadly become the hallmark of the present day Commissioner's Office, department, and the city."
"The evolution of both the conversation and advocacy around equity and inclusion in our country has been a long march of vision, voice and volume. And yet, it’s been a march too often plagued by the intentional forces of what can best be termed a 'status quo blockade,'" the union said. "This is particularly true in our law enforcement community, where the present fight to have equitable and diverse practices in the Boston Police Department has been thwarted and stalled by the mislabeled and misguided framing of conflicts of interest."
The POST Commission said in its press release that it had learned Boston police demoted Chrispin "claiming to have concerns about conflicts of interest due to his position on the command staff."
"Like any other state agency, the POST Commission has procedures to deal with conflicts of interest that may arise. Commissioners routinely disclose or recuse themselves from a particular matter that presents a conflict of interest," the agency wrote. "Additionally, current and past commissioners have held positions on an agency's command staff, such as the position of police chief, while also serving as commissioners."
NBC10 Boston has reached out to the Boston Police Department, but did not immediately hear back.
