An Act Relative to the Alignment of the University of Massachusetts Police

Summary

This bill would align the University of Massachusetts Police with other law enforcement officers in group 4 of retirement system. As outlined by the Retirement Board and reinforced by DALA, the University of Massachusetts police clearly fall under the definition of law enforcement in Group 4. However, a specific statutory designation in group 2 prevents their inclusion. They were originally added to Group 2 in 1940, when they were building security officers. Since then, the department has been fully professionalized, and is certified by the MPTC like any municipal department. However, due to the lack of comparable benefits, the University has significant trouble retaining qualified officers who leave for Group 4 positions.