Law enforcement Archives

Putting police officers to the test

by Colman M. Herman September 15, 2024November 7, 2024

Enrique Zuniga, the executive director of the commission, said recurring physical and mental health testing is needed to make sure police officers are up to their job. But he said getting a testing regime in place will be a “big lift.” He is leaning toward making the periodic testing voluntary rather than mandatory.

State Government

After years of scandals, have the State Police turned a corner?

by Gintautas Dumcius May 22, 2024May 22, 2024

Under the State House’s golden dome, there’s been little interest over the years among legislators to take stock of the theft of public funds and abuse of public trust, and whether the agency has been truly reformed.

Opinion

Every police ‘bad shoot’ should be treated as a system failure

by James Doyle January 1, 2024February 5, 2024

We should be streamlining the path to restoration for the victims, not saddling them with the burden of demonizing cops and proving misconduct.

Health, State Government, State House News Service

State Police union claims victory over ‘tyranny’

by Sam Doran | State House News Service August 7, 2023January 9, 2024

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE PRESIDENT of the State Police union took a victory lap on Monday after an arbitrator ruled in favor of seven troopers who had remained on unpaid leave after claiming a religious exemption from mandated COVID-19 vaccination two years ago. Against a backdrop of the State House with the governor’s office […]

Opinion

Looking at 911 mental health calls in a new way

by James Doyle June 19, 2023

A SPOUSE, A SISTER, or a brother suffers an acute mental health crisis. Family members call 911 as a last resort. A Boston Globe analysis reports that these calls—there are a lot of them—initiate chains of events that can (and, on an average of five times each year in Massachusetts, do) culminate in a fatal police […]

Criminal Justice

Boston police captain cleared of most charges

by Colman M. Herman July 24, 2022July 25, 2022

A BOSTON POLICE captain who was on paid leave for 2½ years for violating the rules of conduct returned to work earlier this year and then scored a major victory in June when a hearing officer dismissed most of the violations against him and he received just an oral reprimand for the remaining transgressions. The […]

The Download

Police escort of officer shuts down SE Expressway

by CommonWealth Staff May 17, 2022May 18, 2022

Shortly after 2 p.m. on Monday, I emerged from the Central Artery tunnel in heavy, stop-and-go traffic heading south on the Southeast Expressway. It was clear something was going on because two helicopters were hovering in place high overhead – one over near Boston Medical Center and the other above the expressway itself. As my […]

Transportation

Police escort of officer shuts down SE Expressway

by Bruce Mohl May 17, 2022May 18, 2022

SHORTLY AFTER 2 p.m. on Monday, I emerged from the Central Artery tunnel in heavy, stop-and-go traffic heading south on the Southeast Expressway. It was clear something was going on because two helicopters were hovering in place high overhead – one over near Boston Medical Center and the other above the expressway itself. As my […]

Criminal Justice

Report finds no racial profiling by Needham police

by Bruce Mohl March 16, 2021March 16, 2021

INVESTIGATORS HIRED by the town of Needham concluded “the weight of the available evidence” suggests four white police officers did not engage in racial profiling last year when they arrested a black man on suspicion of shoplifting at a CVS store, but their report nevertheless raises issues of potential bias. The incident occurred more than […]

Uncategorized

Ruling permits citizen recordings of police

by Sarah Betancourt December 17, 2020

WHILE BEACON HILL legislators haven’t moved yet to address Gov. Charlie Baker’s amendments to policing reform legislation, other efforts to improve law enforcement accountability are moving forward locally and in the courts this week. Earlier this week, the First Circuit Court of Appeals said people can’t be prosecuted under the state’s 1968 wiretapping statute for […]

Law enforcement

Putting police officers to the test

After years of scandals, have the State Police turned a corner?

Every police ‘bad shoot’ should be treated as a system failure

State Police union claims victory over ‘tyranny’

Looking at 911 mental health calls in a new way

Boston police captain cleared of most charges

Police escort of officer shuts down SE Expressway

Police escort of officer shuts down SE Expressway

Report finds no racial profiling by Needham police

Ruling permits citizen recordings of police

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