Canton Police Audit Reveals Strained Community Relations, Low Officer Morale
Recommendations include improved communication channels, enhanced training, and updated equipment to rebuild trust and address public scrutiny
CANTON - April 5 - A comprehensive audit of the Canton Police Department reveals officers are experiencing significantly low morale due to public scrutiny and perceived lack of support from town officials, according to findings presented by 5 Stones Intelligence.
Editor’s note: while not necessarily the South Shore, a 200 page report and 3 hour forum in a nearby community seemed like a good use of the AI summarization tool we use. Both are linked at the end of the article.
The audit, conducted over four months from November 2024 to March 2025, examined the department's policies, procedures, and operations while making recommendations for improvement in areas including crime scene protocols, training, and equipment.
"No one in this town will care about us until one of us gets murdered, even then half the town will probably celebrate that," one Canton police officer told auditors during confidential interviews.
Another officer stated: "Elected officials don't care about us. Now the easiest way to gain popularity or get elected is to publicly trash us. They have no political platform, just trash the police. That's it. It doesn't even have to be true, just do it."
The audit finds that while officers maintain strong camaraderie within the department, their relationship with the town has deteriorated significantly. This strain stems largely from public scrutiny regarding the department's handling of the crime scene and investigation into the death of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe in January 2022.
Matt Germanowski, who presented the audit findings, notes that officers continue to serve the community despite facing harassment both on and off duty.
"While we've been here, your officers have saved the lives of nine people, one of which has a family member that pickets outside the police department every Friday. But they still, without hesitation, saved that individual's life," Germanowski says.
The audit team found no evidence of corruption or conspiracy within the department, despite public allegations to the contrary.
"We saw zero, zero evidence of corruption, conspiracy, cover-up, intentional manipulation of a... No intentional manipulation of evidence," Germanowski states.
## Crime Scene Protocols
The audit identifies several areas for improvement in the department's crime scene protocols, particularly related to the O'Keefe case. Recommendations include:
- First responding officers should photograph crime scenes before evidence is moved
- Interviews of critical witnesses should be conducted at the police station
- All interviews should be recorded
- Police presence should be maintained at crime scenes until properly processed
The audit notes that officers used personal phones to photograph crime scenes due to lack of department-issued equipment, a practice the auditors strongly recommend against.
"All policy should be changed to mandate the utilization of ONLY department issued/owned phones to photograph crime scenes. Use of personal phones should be strictly prohibited," the report states.
## Internal Affairs Process
The audit reveals inconsistencies in how internal affairs investigations are conducted and documented. While no instances of intentional negligence or misconduct minimization were found, the audit recommends a more structured approach.
"The IA process is inconsistent regarding investigation and documentation methods," the report notes, recommending that investigations follow a standardized process with clear documentation and oversight.
## Equipment and Training Needs
The audit identifies critical equipment needs, including:
- Department-issued cell phones for all officers
- Digital cameras for sergeants' and patrol vehicles
- Crime scene kits for all patrol vehicles
- Improved radio communications to address "dead zones" in town
"The areas that do not provide reception or transmission capabilities for the portable radios must be addressed. This is a serious safety concern for the officers and could place the town in a legally liable situation," the report warns.
Training recommendations include additional instruction in crime scene management, report writing, evidence collection, and courtroom testimony.
## Staffing Recommendations
The audit recommends hiring additional personnel, including:
- Full-time civilian dispatchers to work alongside officers
- Intelligence analysts to support the detective bureau
- Administrative staff to handle FOIA requests and other administrative tasks
- Additional school resource officers to ensure coverage at all schools
The audit notes that the department is currently down seven officers with another deployed on military leave.
## Community Relations
To rebuild trust between the police department and the community, the audit recommends establishing effective communication channels between town leaders, elected officials, and department officers.
"Meetings should be held directly with elected town leaders and department officers to facilitate discussions focused on enhancing communication," the report suggests.
The audit also recommends resuming public notifications on social media regarding significant events in town, though it suggests keeping comments disabled until they "can become beneficial and promote a positive exchange of information."
Despite the challenges facing the department, the audit finds that officers continue to serve the community professionally. During the week of February 17-21, 2025, officers saved the lives of two citizens and arrested another on assault charges.
"Despite low morale due to public sentiment, relationships and respect amongst fellow officers remain strong, and the commitment to serve and protect the public has been observed daily by the Audit Team," the report concludes.