AGAWAM, Mass. (WWLP) – Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission has suspended four law enforcement officers, including one from Agawam.
According to a news release sent to 22News on Tuesday by the POST, four officers who were suspended under the commission include Matthew Hubbard of the Agawam Police Department, Steven Amado of the Duxbury Police Department, Shawn Cronin of the Dighton Police Department, and Joe Martinez of the Boston Police Department.
On September 20, 2022, Matthew Hubbard of Agawam was arrested and charged with illegally collecting Workers’ Compensation and transportation benefits in the amount of $86,648.08 while being employed as a Correctional Officer with the State of Connecticut Department of Correction.
Hubbard is accused of lying about being too injured to work in order to collect workers’ compensation and transportation benefits, according to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. He was charged with one count of first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community, one count of a fraudulent claim or receipt of benefits, and perjury.
POST Commission
In 2020, former Governor Charlie Baker signed into law a landmark police reform law that created the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST Commission. This commission operates independently and has the power to establish policing standards, certify police officers, investigate misconduct allegations, and suspend or revoke the certification of officers found to have violated the commission’s standards.
As of July 20th, there are a total of 39 officers suspended in Massachusetts.
According to a news release sent to 22News from the Massachusetts POST Commission, POST says it will suspend the certification of an officer who is arrested, charged, or indicted for a felony, and will revoke the certification of an officer who is convicted of a felony.
The Commission can also suspend the certification of an officer who fails to complete in-service training requirements within 90 days of notice. A law enforcement officer whose certification is suspended can request a hearing before a commissioner within 15 days. A suspension order is in effect until a final decision or revocation is made by the Commission.
Officers who had their certification suspended can request a hearing within 15 days.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 providing local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Follow 22News on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
