Geoffrey Noble, a decades-long veteran of the New Jersey State Police, took the helm of the scandal-plagued Massachusetts State Police Friday morning with a pledge to “build and maintain” public trust and deliver “excellent police services.”

Noble comes into the role as the agency faces heightened scrutiny after the death of a cadet at its training academy last month, a local murder trial revealed stunning conduct by a state police investigator, and widespread legal issues.

But Noble, who faces allegations of discrimination from his time in New Jersey, said he comes to the Massachusetts State Police “with the immense focus on addressing the challenges of this moment.”

“I will work collectively with the command staff, with the staff from (Executive Office of Public Safety and Security), and we will aggressively address the challenges that we see. Where there’s things that we’re doing great, we’ll continue to do great. We’ll build upon that and expand. And where there are areas where we can improve, we absolutely will,” he said.

Noble takes over from John Mawn, who Healey appointed the agency’s interim colonel in February 2023 after Christopher Mason retired following a 40-year career in law enforcement.

The path forward for the Massachusetts State Police may prove difficult.

Enrique Delgado-Garcia, a 25-year-old recruit, died last month from injuries he sustained while working out in a boxing ring. His family told local media outlets that his neck was broken, body covered in bruises, and he had missing teeth.

Gov. Maura Healey ordered Noble to conduct a review of academy training and policy practices while a separate investigation into the death carried out by an outside attorney moves forward.

The issues with the department stretch beyond Delgado-Garcia’s death and also include the fallout of comments made by State Trooper Michael Proctor, who led the investigation into the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, allegedly at the hands of Mansfield’s Karen Read.

Massachusetts State Police officials have also contended with overtime fraud, allegations of racial and gender bias, a scheme where troopers allegedly traded favors in exchange for unearned commercial driver’s licenses, and the conviction of the former head of their union.

Noble is also dealing with at least four cases involving claims of discrimination, according to publicly available court filings from New Jersey.

In one case filed in 2021, a group of long-time female employees of the New Jersey State Police said they were passed over for promotions and assignments and dealt with selective enforcement of discipline because of their gender.

“In reality, the continuous excuses made by Noble for not promoting (Wanda) Stojanov were really motivated by his desire to prevent a woman from becoming major,” the lawsuit read, referring to a New Jersey State Police employee who had been at the department since 1995.

The incoming head of the Massachusetts State Police did not explicitly address the accusations when asked about them during a press conference at the State House.

He instead told reporters that he approached personnel decisions in New Jersey “under one driving belief, that a healthy organization is one in which the men and women that serve in that department in any capacity feel that they belong, feel that they are supported.”

Healey, who commissioned a national search process to find the next head of the agency and had the novel option of selecting someone from outside law enforcement, defended Noble.

“We had the opportunity to review, personally, everything,” Healey said. “And the lieutenant governor and I are quite confident in Col. Noble and the job that he will do. He has a terrific record of proven leadership, including at the New Jersey State Police, and I know that that will carry through here in Massachusetts.”

Noble, who was born and raised in Rhode Island, had a long career in law enforcement.

He joined the New Jersey State Police in 1995 and rose to the rank of deputy superintendent of the agency, the second highest role at a department with a staff of nearly 4,000 people. He retired from law enforcement in 2022.

Before joining the state police in New Jersey, Noble worked for two years as a summer police officer in Nantucket.

After his retirement, he worked as regional president for Inter-Con Security Systems, one of the top 10 private security firms in the world, according to Healey’s office.

He said he will approach his new role “by listening and learning” from local officials.

“Together, we will develop strategies to enhance public safety, adopt innovations and meaningful reforms, and continuously build upon the relationships with our many stakeholders,” he said at the State House.