25 Investigates: Local police chief working from Florida

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Bridgewater State University’s Executive Director of Public Safety and Police Chief David Tillinghast has been working remotely for about a year and a half due to what University President Frederick Clark Jr., Esq described as “unusual” circumstances.

25 Investigates received an anonymous tip that Tillinghast moved to Punta Gorda, FL and a public records search shows he’s registered to vote there. In an email, Tillinghast confirmed he left New England in early 2023 and remains, “in constant communication with the (police) department and the president’s office.”

Tillinghast has worked at Bridgewater State for more than 30 years. Bridgewater is the tenth-largest university in Massachusetts with an enrollment of about 10,000 students. Tillinghast, who also has a law degree, will make $172,419 this year, according to state payroll records.

25 Investigates observed unmarked police vehicle 901, the one assigned to Tillinghast, parked outside the Bridgewater State University Police station multiple times in July and in August. Deputy Chief Glen Anderson told investigative reporter Ted Daniel that Tillinghast’s patrol car is driven by other members of the department.

Dennis Galvin is a retired Massachusetts State Police Major and President of the Massachusetts Association for Professional Law Enforcement (MAPLE). MAPLE is a law enforcement watchdog group. Galvin told 25 Investigates he’s never heard of a police chief working remotely in his more than 40 years in law enforcement.

“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 said.

The 2020 criminal justice reform law requires all Massachusetts police officers to be certified by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST). A POST spokesperson said, “Tillinghast came up for recertification on June 30, 2024, and received a certification outcome of ‘Not Certified’ effective July 8, 2024. This outcome was due in part for failure to attend in-service training and the Bridge Academy.” Tillinghast has not completed in-service training since 2022, according to POST.

Tillinghast said he appealed POST’s decision on July 26, and his certification to serve as a law enforcement officer is in place pending the outcome of the appeal.

President Clark told Daniel it was his decision to have Tillinghast work remotely. Clark said Tillinghast wanted to retire but he asked him to stay until his replacement recovered from a serious medical condition.

“We needed to make sure we had a second in command that could move up to chief. And our second in command, unfortunately, needed a double lung transplant. You can be effective remotely, through an administrative law enforcement role,” Clark said.

President Clark said he recognized the arrangement was unusual. He described Tillinghast as, “the best chief of police for a university in Massachusetts and beyond.”

President Clark said he was only recently made aware that Tillinghast’s POST certification has expired. He said Tillinghast plans to retire in November and Deputy Chief Glen Anderson, who is recovering from surgery will take over.

“I have absolutely no, concerns about how we conducted ourselves or comported ourselves over the past year and a half with my approval,” Clark explained.

Tillinghast confirmed his upcoming retirement. As for working remotely, he said he and President Clark “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…”

Clark said Bridgewater State was recently ranked the 4th safest campus in America, according to a college ranking website.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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