By Massachusetts State Police Marine Unit
The origins of the State Police Marine Unit emerged in the late 19th Century, when state troopers were referred to as state detectives. In February 1897, District Police Commissioner Wade pushed forward legislation to allow the “district police” (predecessor of the State Police) concurrent jurisdiction with the fish commissioners with regard to fisheries laws. Under this measure, the vessel Ocean Gem would be transferred to the authority of the District Police, as reported in the Boston Daily Globe in 1897.
The State Police’s prominence on the waters of the Commonwealth was bolstered by the commissioning of the vessel Lexington. On July 27, 1898, the steamer was commissioned out of the Story Shipyard in Essex, Massachusetts. The Lexington was 122 feet long and operated with a crew of ten personnel. It was built for seasonal (summer) ocean work and had a maximum speed of approximately 13 knots. The vessel had a “rapid fire” gun and designed for fisheries enforcement. The Boston Sunday Post praised her capabilities to deter “pirates.”
Alas, budget cuts in 1901 forced the Lexington into dry dock. The vessel’s $8,000 operating budget was cut. This forced the state detective force to cease seasonal ocean going patrols for several years.
In May of 1904, the Lexington underwent an overhaul that included a cabin remodel at the East Boston Shipyard. The ship’s captain, William Harry Proctor, and his crew returned the Lexington to the south coast of Massachusetts. The Lexington was primarily
concerned with preventing porgy and “menhaden” fishing with nets in the Buzzards Bay area. Menhaden fishing had been made illegal by the Massachusetts Legislature during this time because it was thought that menhaden fish brought larger food fish to the area.
Captain Proctor of Swampscott joined the State Police in 1888, bringing with him prior experience as a navigator. Captain Proctor was not only a captain in the nautical sense of the word, but he was appointed to the rank of Captain on the State Detective force in May 1905. With the promotion came a pay increase, from an annual salary of $1,500 to $1,800 a year, according to the Globe. He had the privilege of having his seven-year-old daughter christen the Lexington upon is commissioning.
Captain Proctor, like many of today’s troopers who are assigned to special operations units, was designated to give tours to command staff and politicians in order to demonstrate the capabilities of the force. On several occasions, he took both the Commissioner of the State Detectives and the Governor on tours of the Massachusetts coastline. These tours included a July 4th excursion to Nashawena Island for both the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
The Lexington was eventually replaced by the steamer Lotus in the 1910s. The Lotus was followed by the motor vessel Protector. The Protector was launched July 15, 1924, again from the Story Shipyard in Essex. The vessel was capable of making 13 knots and carried two one-pound guns and a machine gun. The vessel was christened by Miss Edna Foote, the daughter of Commissioner Alfred F. Foote. The vessel was commanded by Captain Frank Wright. Captain Wright, who had prior experience as the master of the Lotus, captained the Protector until his untimely death in October 1925.
The end of the first era of the State Police Marine Unit came in 1933 when General Daniel Needham, State Commissioner of Public Safety, sold the Protector. The Commissioner was under the impression at that time that “…the work can be performed better on land by police in small motor car (Will Sell Boat Of State Police, 1933).” This was a lean time for the State Police in that the Great Depression was in full swing and money and resources were scarce. It was also at this time that the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) purchased the entire State Police stable of 38 horses. The State Police horse patrol was replaced by motorcycles where needed.
The formation of the State Police Marine Unit and its current location evolved from the formation of the Metropolitan Park Commission Police in 1893. The Metropolitan Park Police was the predecessor of the Metropolitan District Commission Police which took its name in 1919 and functioned until it merged with the Massachusetts State Police in 1992. The Metropolitan Park Police/MDC Police were charged with policing the park areas of the Commonwealth including the Charles River, Nantasket Beach, Revere Beach, and the Mystic River as well as the Wachusett and Quabbin Reservoirs.
Plans were underway for the creation of the Charles River Dam in 1900. In May of 1900, the Metropolitan Park Police voted to procure money for the placement of rescue vessels on the Charles River. The construction of the Charles River Dam and subsequent infrastructure along the Charles River including the Charles River Speedway (Storrow Drive) occurred between 1903 and 1910. On October 20, 1908 the Charles River Basin was created with the sealing of the original Charles River Locks located where the current State Police Boston Barracks is located. The first MDC Police Boat house was located along the Lechmere Canal equipped with an interior boat basin with three boat bay doors. The boat house still stands over 100 years later.
In 1901, the creation of the Metropolitan Parks Riverside District (the current area of Auburndale in the city of Newton along the Charles River) resulted in the first type of Marine Patrol type duties. Nineteen persons were rescued by Metropolitan Park Police officers on the river in the first year personnel were assigned to patrol the area (www.home.comcast. net/~mmrubino/).
The MDC eventually established seven geographical commission divisions which included the Charles River Lower Basin (current State Police-Boston), Charles River Upper Basin (SP-Brighton), Middlesex Fells (SP-Medford), Nantasket (area currently covered by SP-Norwell), Old Colony (SP South-Boston), Revere (SP-Revere), and the Quabbin (SP-Belchertown). Each division had boats assigned to their respective area. There would not be not a centralized MDC Harbor Division until the late 1970s.
The economic boom of the 1920s brought powerboats to the MDC police, especially the Charles River. The Charles River was the place to be in the roaring twenties and the work of the MDC police in this area increased exponentially. In 1922, $4,800 was appropriated for the design of a 28 foot power driven motor vessel with twin 50 H.P. Noyes-Buick engines and a capability of reaching speeds in excess of 25 knots. In April of 1922 money was also appropriated for the purchase of a motor vessel on the Wachusett Reservoir.
The fleet of the MDC continued to improve through the decades, in 1941 construction of another 28-foot river boat was undertaken by Eldredge-McInnis Marine Engineers. The beam on this boat was 7 feet and had a maximum draft of 2 feet. This type of sturdy design was consistent of the MDC River Patrol boats up through the 1950s.
The 1960s fleet of the MDC consisted of over 20 vessels spread throughout the numerous MDC Divisions including two infamous “Duck Boats” which the MDC acquired in 1966. During the late 1960s, the lower Basin was equipped with three 26-foot launches. These vessels had the ability to reach speeds of 40 M.P.H. to enforce speed and wake violations on the Charles River. The Middlesex Fells division had two 19-foot long vessels to conduct enforcement on the Mystic River as well as the Upper and Lower Mystic lakes. The Revere Division was equipped with several vessels, and the Nantasket Division was equipped with a both a 28 and 32-foot launch for patrolling George’s and Lovell’s Island, according to a 1968 historical work.
In the 1970s, the MDC established itself as the premier law enforcement agency in the waters within and surrounding Boston Harbor after the Boston Police abolished its harbor patrol in 1973. The MDC acquired two of Boston Police’s 38-foot Diesel Boats and assumed primary patrol duties of all Boston Harbor. The MDC Police Harbor Division was created in 1978 with the construction of the new locks and the building on Beverly Street behind the new Boston Garden which currently houses the present day State Police Marine Unit.
The “original six” members assigned to the MDC Harbor Division were Patrolman John Mooney, William Broderick, Robert Graham, Anthony Maraschiello, Joseph Kelleher, and Sergeant George Crowley. The original members of the MDC Marine Unit reported to the U.S. Coast
Guard Base in Boston for a week of training. Many of the members had prior military experience; Patrolman Mooney was a Naval Veteran of World War Two. Members also had prior experience operating the boats out of their respective divisions. Patrolman Mooney recalled, in a conversation last year, that he was the junior man of the group, having “only” 22 years of service at the time of his appointment to the Marine Division.
The Harbor Division expanded its jurisdiction when the six MDC Police Officers assigned to patrol George’s Island out of the Nantasket Division were reassigned to the Harbor Division duties. Members assigned to George’s Island prior to 1980 worked 48-hour shifts on the island followed by four days off. The MDC Harbor Division was fully consolidated by 1980 and all marine assets ran out of the MDC Marine Division. Prior to the 1970s there were no such thing as DCR Rangers, the MDC Patrolmen assigned to the Islands were responsible for the not only its policing but also its day to day maintenance.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s both the MDC and State Police made a push to overtake Harbor Master duties from the Boston Police. The Boston Police reestablished their Harbor Unit in July of 1980, just in time for the visit of the John F. Kennedy Aircraft Carrier visit during the summer of the same year.
The State Police took over the MDC Harbor Division in 1992 when the MDC Police were consolidated into the MSP. The State Police Marine Unit acquired several state of the art boats during the 1980s & 1990s including the addition of three 25-foot Boston Whalers which were specifically designed for law enforcement purposes and remain in the State Police fleet today.
The events of September 11, 2001 changed the landscape for the State Police Marine Unit. Members of the unit were assigned the daunting task of protecting regular Liquefied Natural Gas shipments to the Distrigas LNG Terminal in Everett. Personnel were assigned to 24-hour waterside security of this highly volatile cargo. The Marine Unit also acquired three 41-foot utility boats from the Coast Guard in the months after 9/11 in an effort to augment homeland security efforts in Boston Harbor. These vessels were critical to conducting security operations during the winter months in Boston Harbor.
The Marine Unit has acquired several premier vessels specifically designed for law enforcement and homeland security operations over the past 12 years. These include the addition of three 31-foot and one 27 foot SAFE (Secure Around Flotation Equipped) boats. Numerous federal, state, and municipal agencies have obtained these specific vessels because of their advanced design which specifically caters to law enforcement / homeland defense operations. The Marine Unit also has obtained two Moose Boat vessels since 2010. These vessels are great dive platforms and have jet propulsion which allows the operators to have precise control over the vessels movement.
The State Police Marine Unit today continues to patrol many of the areas the MDC Police used to watch over prior to consolidation. The State Police Marine Unit took over seaward law enforcement around the perimeter of Logan Airport in 2011 after the Logan Airport Marine Unit disbanded. The State Police Marine Unit continues to support the State Police Underwater Recovery team, providing dive platforms for numerous recovery missions. The Marine Unit continues to patrol the Charles River, providing water side security for the Esplanade Fourth of July Gala. The Marine Unit also continues to participate in events of national significance including the War of 1812 celebration, the turnaround of the U.S.S. Constitution, and the protection of Boston Red Sox for their Victory Tour on the Charles River after winning both the 2004 and 2013 World Series Championships.