Overview
- Investigators documented bullying and unsafe exercises at the East Falmouth Police Academy, including outdoor drills in below-freezing weather without proper gear and denial of adequate bathroom breaks.
- Two recruits were hospitalized — one for a sprained ankle and one for dehydration and exhaustion — and the required notifications to the state were not made.
- Academy Director Christopher Donelan and Coordinator Edward Dunne were removed, five staff instructors lost their instructor certifications, and four other instructors had certifications reinstated after being cleared of serious misconduct.
- The report cites incidents such as instructors pushing recruits’ faces to the ground, ordering students to soak themselves with water in the cold, and publicly commenting on a female recruit’s underwear after a bag search.
- The Municipal Police Training Committee announced tighter instructor certification and ethics requirements, procedures for unannounced audits and site inspections, and a statewide review of academy training practices.