By George Donnelly — with help from Keith Regan
An abundant police misconduct database with information still missing
Earlier this week two Boston cops arrived at the scene of a melee outside of the AMC movie theater by the Common where 150 teens were on the street. One cop was dragged to the ground and kicked; another was put in a chokehold. Ultimately four teens and two 12-year-olds were arrested. Order was restored, and no doubt many in the neighborhood were grateful for professionalism and bravery police brought to the scene.
Of course, the professionalism we take for granted doesn’t always prevail in police work. And the question arises about how much we deserve to know about police who go astray. In the case of the newly released database of 3,200 disciplinary records courtesy of Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) commission, we get both too much and not enough information. All the same, this burst of transparency is a welcome development, for it is a milestone toward greater accountability.
Despite the voluminous records from POST, it is far from a complete report of Massachusetts police misconduct. Over 160 police departments, claiming they had no sustained complaints for the past 40 years, didn’t provide disciplinary records — making it clear the police often can’t be counted on to police themselves.
Also, the descriptions of most incidents beg for more information, while some of it seems too trivial to be disclosed. Type in “verbal abuse” or “alcohol” into the database and you get back many hits but very little detail. Often the description is simply “conduct unbecoming.” In the Boston Police Department, “Alcohol on duty” was cited several times, earning most violators a suspension for one to five days, but with no narrative for context.
The database also left off the disciplinary actions toward several police chiefs, as a report from WBUR points out. Clearly the data is a work in progress, and yet it sheds light on what was previously unseen — while a lot of police work goes unappreciated.
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9:00 | Gov. Healey and Lt. Gov. Driscoll attend the Department of Public Health's International Overdose Awareness Day event, during which over 22,000 purple flags will be planted on Boston Common to represent the Massachusetts residents who have died from overdoses since 2011. At the Liberty Mall, Boston Common, 139 Tremont St., Boston
11:15 | Press conference on open city and state public service roles, including human services direct care care, sanitation, public safety and corrections as part of a national bus tour called "Staff the Front Lines." Speakers include AFSCME Council 93 Executive Director Mark Bernard, Boston's Chief People Officer Alex Lawrence, John Langan of the state's Office of Employee Relations, and Al Vega of the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health At Boston Common, Park and Beacon streets
12:00 | The City of Boston holds a press conference to detail ongoing preparations related to Sept. 1 college student move-in. Deputy Chief for Transportation Nick Grove, Commissioner of the Inspectional Services Department Sean Lydon, Deputy Director of Neighborhood Services Conor Newman, Superintendent of Street Operations for Department of Public Works Mike Brohel, Boston Fire Marshall Patrick Ellis are scheduled to attend.....Forsyth Lot, 218 Hemenway St., Fenway
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Seeing the light at the end of Sumner Tunnel closure
The Sumner Tunnel, after two months of repair work, is scheduled to open early Friday morning. Yesterday Gov. Healey and a host of other officials toured the tunnel, which now features new lighting, new ceiling arches, and better ventilation. Enjoy the Sumner while you can: As the State House News Service’s Alison Kuznitz reports, the tunnel will be closed for an estimated two months next summer for additional repairs.
State House News Service |
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Boston’s ATM fees are relatively low, says report
Who knew we had it so good? When you’re forced into paying an ATM fee, you may actually be getting a bargain. A new study by Bankrate put Boston lowest for combined average ATM fees for out-of-network withdrawals among the 25 largest U.S. markets. As the Boston Business Journal’s Meera Raman reports, with fewer people taking out cash, expect fees to go up.
Boston Business Journal |
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Professional Service Directory
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Two Cape reps make case for regular rail service to Buzzards Bay
Much of the infrastructure already is in place, so why not run commuter rail service to the Cape and take thousands of cars off the road? That the pitch of Rep. Dylan Fernandes of Falmouth and Rep. Kip Diggs of Barnstable, who filed legislation to start service within a year. The train trips would eliminate the need for about 295,000 motor vehicle trips annually, according to a recent study. But can it really happen? The State House News Service’s Chris Lisinski has more details.
State House News Service |
US and Mass. high school rankings, according to US News & World Report
Smart people can pore over the data and try to make sense of the US News & World Report ranking of 17,000-plus public high schools in the country, based on a set of criteria that includes college readiness and performance of underserved students. Boston Latin ranked top in Massachusetts, and the Boston Globe slices some of the numbers by various categories.
Boston Globe |
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City Council pushes Mass and Cass tent ban vote to October
They’re in no rush. The Boston City Council has sent Mayor Michelle Wu’s proposed Mass and Cass-focused tent ban to a committee for study, a move that will set up a public hearing on the proposal and likely delay a final vote until October.
Boston Herald | GBH |
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Gaming Commission meets in private on security at MGM Springfield
The Gaming Commission met in executive session Wednesday to discuss a “safety and security” letter to MGM Springfield. Though details are scant, MassLive’s Jim Kinney notes that the downtown casino was fined in May for failing to keep minors off the casino floor and that just last week the commission said it would fund additional police presence in the area of the downtown resort casino.
MassLive |
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Nantucket tells employees to get clearance to talk the media
A newly enacted policy requiring employees of the town of Nantucket get permission before speaking to the media has some workers crying foul and wondering if their First Amendment rights are being violated.
Nantucket Current |
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Fired New Bedford cop had lied on application
After a 10-month investigation, New Bedford has fired police officer Vincent Peters for abusing his authority to buy firearms from people who wanted to turn them in and not being truthful with investigators looking into a use-of-force complaint, Anastasia Lennon of the Light reports. An earlier inquiry found Peters lied on his initial application to be on the force.
New Bedford Light |
Plan to house migrants at Cape resort hits snag
The state’s plan to move some migrant families into the Yarmouth Resort are now on hold after the town said the hotel-turned-condos is out of compliance with its special permit and failed a recent inspection. Denise Coffey of the Cape Cod Times has the details.
Cape Cod Times |
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More than volleyball: Cops say Milford games cover for gambling ring
Gatherings in Milford billed as informal backyard volleyball tournaments were actually a cover for a large-scale illegal gambling operation that offered table games and illegal alcohol sales, according to police, who busted one recent event and came up with $10,000 in cash. The town has established a task force to tackle the issue, Norman Miller of the MetroWest Daily News reports.
MetroWest Daily News |
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Anyone want to be a school bus driver?
The good news is many school districts, including Boston and Lawrence, are fully staffed with bus drivers as the school year begins, but others are just scraping by with barely enough drivers despite aggressive recruitment and increases in wages, according the Boston Globe.
Boston Globe |
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