Gov. Deval Patrick Off to Jamaica with Public Funded Protection

Former Gov. Mitt Romney and former acting Gov. Jane M. Swift both had state trooper chauffeurs during their personal vacations, including jaunts to Utah and Cape Cod, respectively.

Their predecessors, however, never had bodyguards on nights, weekends or during their vacations. Former Gov. William F. Weld had no troopers with him during frequent fishing trips to New York’s Adirondacks.

Rep. Karyn Polito (R-Shrewsbury) said Patrick’s decision to bring state police on vacation is politically tone-deaf during the state’s fiscal crisis.

“His choice doesn’t reflect a complete connection with the struggles that people find themselves in right now,” Polito said. “I don’t begrudge him a vacation, but everyone in government needs to be looking at ways to reduce costs.”

Taking no chances in sunny Jamaica, Gov. Deval Patrick took along taxpayer-funded state troopers on his private Caribbean vacation this week, officials said.

State police won’t even disclose the cost of the trip for “security reasons.”

“Troopers from the executive protection unit accompanied the governor on his trip as they have accompanied other governors in the past,” state police spokesman David Procopio said. “Their job is to protect the governor 24 hours a day, seven days per week.”

The cost of flights, lodging and meals for troopers assigned to the governor’s executive protection unit are paid out of the general state police budget, he said. Procopio would not reveal how many troopers accompanied the governor but said they are not paid overtime for out of state travel.