Geoffrey Noble vows to "aggressively address" Massachusetts State Police challenges
BOSTON - Geoffrey Noble, the new head of the Massachusetts State Police, said he will "aggressively address" challenges in the troubled agency.
Noble was sworn in as the new Colonel by Governor Maura Healey in a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House in Boston Friday morning.
Healey hired Noble back on September 4, following a nationwide search. This is the first time a colonel has been hired outside of the existing State Police ranks.
"I'm excited about the future and we will build it together and I'm committed to leading this department with integrity," Noble told reporters Friday.
Massachusetts State Police scandals
State Police have come under intense scrutiny lately following an overtime pay scandal, internal affairs investigations of troopers, including Karen Read lead investigator Michael Proctor, and the death of State Police recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia.
"We will aggressively address the challenges that we see," Noble said.
He told reporters he hasn't been officially briefed yet on Delgado-Garcia's death, but expects that to happen soon.
"We are absolutely going to do a complete review," Noble said. "We will be transparent about that certainly."
Who is Geoffrey Noble?
Noble spent 30 years with the New Jersey State Police before retiring as the Deputy Superintendent and Lieutenant Colonel in 2022.
He grew up in Rhode Island and attended Mount St. Charles Academy in Woonsocket. He once worked as a summer police officer on Nantucket in the 1990s.
When asked Friday why he came out of retirement, Noble said, "I'm here for one reason and one reason only. I'm a career public servant."
Noble will oversee the largest group of law enforcement in New England, with more than 3,000 employees and a $500 million budget. He replaces interim Colonel Jack Mawn who was in the role since February 2023.