New report into East Falmouth Police Academy finds culture of hazing, recommends top leaders be fired

A six month inspection into the East Falmouth Police Academy Cape Cod s newest police academy uncovered a society of hazing and humiliation in violation of state guidelines and recommends top leaders be fired according to a new statement published by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Constituents Safety and Safety Municipal Police Training Committee There has been a heightened awareness about police training and academy safety in Massachusetts following the death of Massachusetts State Police recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia at the State Police Academy in New Braintree in September Local police departments subsequently raised concerns about injuries their recruits suffered at the East Falmouth Academy causing investigators to promptly step in The East Falmouth Academy came under scrutiny within weeks of opening its doors in January By March the academy s director coordinator and staff instructors were all placed on leave The account outlines how instructors would physically and emotionally degrade police recruits including using physical training as a punishment It mentioned two recruits even had to go to the hospital On multiple occassions recruits announced they were forced to run up a hill in sub-freezing temperatures wearing only their khaki uniforms They disclosed they were ordered to crawl on the icy ground as staff instructors stepped on their backs and pushed their faces into the mud The document stated they were instructed to grab their water bottles run back up the hill lay on their backs and pour water over themselves while doing flutter kicks Investigators also exposed that recruits were deprived of bathroom breaks and when they were given breaks one break was so short that two of the eleven female aspirant officers in the class had to urinate in the shower stalls the description mentioned The account presented the Academy s Director Christopher Donelan did not just ignore misconduct he committed selected of the wrongdoings himself When a female pupil officer did not get low enough in a squat the overview explained Donelan stood directly behind her and made her demonstrate for the entire class She noted he was standing so close to her that other aspirant officers requested her if she was okay afterward the assessment stated The statement goes on to say It was Donelan s job as Academy Director to foster a safe learning circumstances characterized by respect courtesy and positive reinforcement From the moment he arrived at the academy he did just the opposite The summary recommends both Donelan and the Academy s coordinator retired Falmouth police department Chief Edward Dunne be fired It also recommends that five of the academy s staff instructors who are all working duty police officers have their teaching credentials permanently revoked