Senior Boston police officer 'demoted' after joining Massachusetts POST Commission

Boston's mayor and police department are at odds with the Massachusetts commission that sets standards for law enforcement after a senior Boston officer was "demoted" and removed from the command staff role following his appointment to the state commission. Established as part of a 2020 criminal justice reform law, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission's assigned tasks include creating a mandatory certification process for police officers and overseeing processes for decertification, suspension of certification and retraining in the event of certain misconduct.Under the law, the commission is required to have an active duty member who is nominated by the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers and selected by the attorney general.Eddy Chrispin, a former member of the Boston Police Department's command staff, was recently named to that seat on the commission. He was subsequently returned to the rank of sergeant detective and assigned as a supervisor in the department's Civil Rights Unit."We are deeply disappointed to learn that Eddy Chrispin was demoted last week from Deputy Superintendent on the Boston Police Department’s (BPD) command staff to Sergeant Detective due to his recent appointment as a POST Commissioner," POST executive director Enrique Zuniga wrote in a statement. "As a result, we urge BPD to reverse its decision and immediately reinstate Commissioner Chrispin to his prior rank. We see no legitimate reason why Commissioner Chrispin’s appointment to the POST Commission should result in his demotion."According to a statement issued by Boston Police Department spokesperson Mariellen Burns, Chrispin was appointed to the department's command staff by a previous commissioner. Burns said the department doesn't "comment on the reasons for changes to the command staff" but said changes may be made for reasons including "to fulfill the mission and promote cohesion of the team." Mayor Michelle Wu said, however, that Chrispin was moved because Commissioner Michael Cox wants to keep his command staff focused on city issues and "independent" of the statewide commission. "The commissioner has a policy that his preference is that his command staff is focused on Boston and focused on internal policies rather than statewide policy," the mayor said. In a phone conversation, Chrispin characterized his reassignment as the wrong decision and asked what kind of message it sends to the community. Zuniga said the POST Commission has procedures in place to deal with potential conflicts of interest, if they arise. He said that can include disclosures or recusal from matters that could be problematic."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 commissioner," Zuniga's statement said. Burns said that a return to the previous rank and service unit is standard when someone is removed from the command staff. "I fully support Commissioner Cox and his judgment in how to choose the senior leadership team that is going to work best for him, the department and for the city," Wu said. The mayor declined to speak on camera about whether Chrispin took a pay cut when he was removed from the command staff. City payroll data showed his gross pay as a deputy superintendent was approximately $240,000. Base pay for a detective sergeant is lower but he will become eligible for overtime and detail work.