New police units to patrol casinos

BOSTON (WWLP) - When lawmakers passed casino legislation, they also created a specialized police force to watch over gambling establishments.

The casino bill calls for the creation of four new law enforcement units responsible for keeping an eye on gaming facilities. The attorney general's office, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC), the to-be-established state Gaming Commission, and the state police, will each create a specialized law enforcement unit on gaming.

Critics say that having four separate policing units will make them fragmented and cause communication problems. But state Treasurer Steve Grossman, who heads the ABCC, says they are sufficiently in sync with one another. “It is all interwoven in a way that says work together, work in partnership, the Gaming Commission has a role, ABCC has a role, public safety has a role, and they're all a role that will be fully integrated in a way to protect the public,” Grossman said.

Attorney General Martha Coakley said that casino law enforcement was structured to spread policing authority across agencies. She said this will prevent power from being too concentrated, and will provide greater oversight.