A state commission released the disciplinary records of thousands of Massachusetts police officers on Aug. 22 in a bid to improve police accountability.
The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) published the publicly accessible database that includes complaints against more than 2,100 officers, from reports of excessive force to criminal misconduct.
With entries going back as far as December 1984 to as recent as January 2023, the database lists more than 3,400 records of sustained cases of police misconduct against active officers, as well as those who resigned or retired to avoid discipline. Unfounded or unsustained complaints are not included.
It also lists the officer’s name and the law enforcement agency that employed them, along with the date and type of allegation.
- Reports alleging bias based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.
- Complaints regarding the use of excessive, prohibited, or deadly force
- Actions that resulted in serious bodily injury or death, including officer-involved shootings
- Truthfulness or professional integrity (misrepresenting or falsifying reports or evidence)
- Other misconduct (unprofessionalism, policy violations, conduct unbecoming, conformance to rules, etc.)
There are 440 law enforcement agencies under POST purview, and only 273 agencies are in the database. The remaining agencies reported having no sustained complaints and are not included in the database.
Most Complaints
The departments with the most complaints included in the database are three of the largest police agencies in the state: the Massachusetts State Police (493), the Springfield Police Department (417), and Boston Police (373).The average number of complaints for the remaining police departments that had reportable disciplinary records was eight.
Anyone can submit a police misconduct complaint to the POST Commission via an online form, including those that fall under discrimination, excessive force, serious injury or death, improper use of a weapon, or unprofessionalism.
“This has led to individuals who would not have been hired in the past being disciplined and or terminated early in their careers for their off-duty behaviors.
“Unfortunately that trend may continue until the pendulum swings back to where this is a highly sought after profession. ”
The POST Commission was established in 2020 as part of a criminal justice reform law to focus on efforts to include public safety and increase trust between members of law enforcement in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts’s release of officers’ disciplinary records comes as California governor Gavin Newsom proposed in June to roll back access to police misconduct records to help cover an estimated $31.5 billion budget deficit.
The state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training said the public could still get the records from police departments. But advocates say local police departments often resist releasing that information.
California is facing a nearly $32 billion budget deficit this year after enjoying several years of record-breaking surpluses, and the proposal is one of many of Mr. Newsom’s cost-cutting measures.
