“Beginning today and continuing through the end of the year, you may notice Massachusetts State Police Troopers wearing slightly different badges than their standard shield.
Yesterday, September 1, 2021, marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the State Police Patrol and to commemorate the milestone, Colonel Christopher Mason has authorized the creation and purchase by Department members of badges that replicate those worn by the first Massachusetts State Patrolmen.
Known informally as the uniformed division, the State Police Patrol were the forbears of the Troopers whom you see today patrolling our roads and communities in their two-toned cruisers, clad in campaign covers in the summer months and boots and breeches in the winter.
Massachusetts State Police photo.
By 1921, the Massachusetts State Police had already existed in several iterations after the Department’s founding in 1865. The first statewide police force in the nation, the Department was comprised of 30 Constables charged with undertaking “their utmost endeavors to repress and prevent crime by the suppression of liquor shops, gambling and places of ill-fame.”
In 1875 the State Police were transitioned into the State Detective Force, which was tasked with investigating crimes as well as enforcing all laws pertaining to child labor laws. Four years later, the Detective Force was abolished and replaced by a new District Police, which would remain the name of the MSP for the next 40 years. During those decades the District Police morphed into two separate units, a Detective Division and a Division of Inspections. Eventually a third division was added to enforce fire prevention regulations. The agency’s responsibilities were also extended to patrol coastal waters and enforce commercial fishing limits.
The decades passed and America and society changed. In May 1921, motivated in part by the increased prevalence of automobiles, which changed the ways people lived and criminals operated, Governor Channing Cox signed legislation authorizing the enlistment of 50 men into the State Police Patrol. The first 40 of them were sworn-in on Sept. 1 of that year at the state capitol.
“Forty young men on September 1, 1921 stood at attention on the State House steps. The Capitol’s historic gold dome glistened brightly on sunlit Beacon Hill. On signal, each raised his right hand as Secretary of State Frederick Cook carefully articulated the oath of office,” William F. Powers wrote in his 1979 history of the Department, French and Electric Blue. “As the men repeated his words, they became members of the State Police Patrol.
It was a proud moment. Excitement was in the air. They were the first. None had gone before. Governor Channing H. Cox presided at the historic ceremony. He and Commissioners Alfred E. Foote must have been extremely gratified as they congratulated the First Class. The two had completed successfully the first, critical phase in transforming a law enforcement concept into an operational reality.”
Massachusetts State Police photo.
Following their swearing-in, the future patrolmen began training at the Poor Farm on Southborough Road in Framingham, and a few weeks later embarked on their public safety mission, crisscrossing the state primarily on horseback or motorcycle. The journey begun that day by those 40 young men was the beginning of the road to the modern Massachusetts State Police that residents recognize today.
That road has led to who we are today – an agency that serves our state from border to ocean, from patrolling our rural towns to assisting our municipal partners in urban cities, from providing security at state buildings and properties to ensuring safe travel on our highways and through our transportation hubs, from investigating all manner of serious crimes to responding to disasters man-made and natural alike.
Today’s uniforms may be different from those worn in 1921 (the first State Patrolmen wore Army surplus forest green uniforms with white shirts and red ties), but the mission to serve all who live, work, and travel in our state endures, stronger than ever.
Which brings us back to the badges. Members of today’s Department had the option to purchase commemorative badges like those seen with this post, and are authorized to wear them through Dec. 31, 2021, in recognition of this history. Troopers purchased the badges with their own money, and are beginning to wear them today with pride in the roots of the organization they now serve.
The badges replicate the style of the 1921 issue with a banner under the state seal that includes the dates 1921-2021.
Over the next few months, we will continue to publish more information about the history of the State Police Patrol and the overall Department of State Police. We hope you take a few moments to learn more about our journey across all these years.
The first accompanying photos show the gold badge worn by Commissioned Officers and the silver worn by the ranks of Sergeant and Trooper.
In the second photo, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Christopher Mason proudly wears his commemorative badge. The third photo shows the commemorative box that MSP personnel may purchase, which includes not only the badge but also a challenge coin and pin marking the anniversary.
#MassachusettsStatePatrol100Years”
