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A Massachusetts university’s chief of police has been working remotely from Florida for over a year, a new report reveals.
David Tillinghast, police chief and executive director of public safety for Bridgewater State University, has been living and working from Punta Gorda, Florida, for a year and a half, Boston 25 News reports.
Tillinghast, who has worked for the school for more than 30 years and will earn more than $170,000 this year, told The Independent in a statement that he has remained in constant contact with the department while working remotely.
University President Frederick Clark told Boston 25 News he decided to allow Tillinghast to work remotely. The move came after the police chief wanted to retire but ultimately stayed on after the officer set to act as his temporary replacement became ill.
“Those [retirement] plans were put on hold when we learned the unfortunate news that Deputy Chief Anderson was suffering from a terminal lung disease,” Tillinghast told The Independent.
Tillinghast said he worked remotely from his home in Florida as Anderson focused on his health.
“We determined that this decision would be the least disruptive to the functioning of the department and would ensure continuity of three members of the command staff as Glen underwent testing and treatment,” he said.
Dennis Galvin, a former law enforcement officer and president of the Massachusetts Association for Professional Law Enforcement, told Boston 25 News that remote police work is unheard of.
“If somebody is remote, the big question I have is, how are you protecting your own reputation and your own responsibility for making sure that the people in charge are performing the way you want,” Galvin told the outlet.
Anderson has since recovered and returned to the school, and Tillinghast will retire in November.
Under Massachusetts law, officers must be certified under the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. Tillinghast is no longer certified as of July after he failed to attend a training, Boston 25 News revealed.
Tillinghast told The Independent he has appealed this decision.
“My certification to serve as a law enforcement officer is in place pending the outcome of my appeal,” he said.
Clark told Boston 25 News he has “absolutely no concerns” about the university’s decisions.
Bridgewater State University, located about 30 miles outside of Boston, is the largest state university in Massachusetts. Roughly 10,000 students attend the school each year. Notable alumni include “Lost in Space” actor Mark Goddard and “Simpsons” voice actor Karl Wiedergott.
The Independent has contacted Clark for comment.
