Massachusetts’ police oversight commission entered new territory in recent weeks when it suspended an officer accused of using the psychedelic drug LSD, a change for a board that until now had only suspended police facing felony criminal charges.
The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission, in its role as a regulatory body for hundreds of individual police departments, has suspended the state-issued policing certifications ofmore than 40 officerssince itbegan exercising the poweraround the beginning of the year.
In anoticeposted on its website last week, the commission announced the suspension of former Lenox Police Officer Blake Poore.
Citing “credible information” it received, the commission said Poore had “possibly engaged in conduct involving use of an illegal controlled substance, specifically lysergic acid diethylamide (more commonly known as the hallucinogen LSD) and has demonstrated disregard for his own safety and that of others while serving as a law enforcement officer.”