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Gov. Announces Plan To Track Over 1000 State Police Cruisers

BOSTON (AP) — More than a thousand State Police cruisers in Massachusetts will be tracked through a GPS system, allowing officials to keep an eye on them.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and State Police Colonel Kerry Gilpin released a 30-day update to state police reforms Wednesday following a slew of scandals that include overtime abuse by state police. This month's changes included the elimination of Troop E and studies on Turnpike barracks.

Baker says 1,087 police cruisers will be tracked by the end of the day using a GPS system so commanders can deploy personnel to emergencies.

A questionnaire for new hires will also be updated to include questions about former involvement with criminal investigations, even if the candidate was not charged.

An audit ordered by Gilpin showed discrepancies between hours worked and payment for Turnpike traffic enforcement patrols. Some have been suspended without pay.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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