[Source via Boston Globe by Lea Skene]
Three Boston police officers testified Thursday at a meeting of the city’s civilian watchdog agency, which recently issued its first subpoenas after long complaining about a lack of cooperation from the Boston Police Department.
They were among nine department employees subpoenaed to appear Thursday before Boston’s Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, or OPAT; the other six didn’t show up. They had all been summonsed to appear for interviews about misconduct allegations against them.
Leaders of the independent city agency recently voted to finally use their subpoena power to summon the employees, an unprecedented move that came amid mounting pressure from the public and growing friction with the Police Department. The flex of power marked a turning point for OPAT, which has often struggled to fulfill its mission.
The Boston City Council voted to create the office five years ago, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and subsequent racial justice protests. It was meant to add a layer of independent oversight and provide an alternative for complainants who would otherwise have to rely on the Boston Police Department’s internal affairs division.
Mayor Michelle Wu has pledged support for the agency since her time on the City Council; she voted for its creation. But agency leaders now say that Police Commissioner Michael Cox, whom Wu appointed to head the department in 2022, isn’t taking their findings seriously.
It remains to be seen how OPAT will respond to the officers who didn’t comply with the subpoenas. But OPAT officials said overall the meeting was productive, showcasing a level of cooperation that bodes well for the future.
The three officers in attendance were accompanied by Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, who said the union has advised its members to comply with OPAT subpoenas unless they’re told otherwise by department leadership.
“We’ve stated many times that we’re not a hindrance to transparency, so we’re here to comply with the law,” he said.
OPAT executive director Evandro Carvalho commended the officers and union leadership for their cooperation.
“This work is challenging work and it’s necessary work,” he said during remarks to begin the meeting, which lasted several hours as the agency’s Civilian Review Board reviewed evidence and heard testimony in a handful of cases. “We’re moving the needle forward in terms of taking this historic step.”
However, two smaller unions representing police department employees have expressed opposition to OPAT’s investigatory process.
The Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, which represents police supervisors, asserted in a 2023 letter that “sworn officers are not expected or required to participate in OPAT investigations, and will not suffer any harm or adverse inference for failing to do so.”
Service Employees International Union Local 888, which represents the department’s civilian employees, also said in a January 2025 letter that “Local 888 and its bargaining unit members will not attend OPAT meetings.”
A civilian dispatcher was among the nine ordered to appear Thursday. But union representative Neal O’Brien said the person didn’t appear because, unlike sworn officers, civilian employees aren’t subject to OPAT investigations. He cited a 2024 letter from Police Commissioner Michael Cox that says “the 911 Operations Center is a civilian staffed division and therefore falls outside of OPAT’s mandate regarding Boston police officer conduct.”
Carvalho declined to release details about the allegations being considered Thursday, which were discussed largely in executive session, not in public.
After hearing from the three officers who appeared, the board found the allegations against them unsustained.
“It’s very helpful to have the officers come in and tell their side of what happened,” Carvalho said after the meeting. “The board members are here to listen and make fair decisions based on the facts of each case.”
Meanwhile, OPAT has increasingly sought to assert its authority in recent months, leading to heightened tension with police department leadership.
The City Council gave OPAT the power to accept and review civilian complaints against police officers and to review cases decided through the department’s own internal disciplinary process.
In a September letter to Cox, the Civilian Review Board complained that many Boston police officers have refused to cooperate in its investigations, while the commissioner has often ignored their recommendations.
In a response letter last month, Cox promised better collaboration, including efforts to reduce backlogs and improve response times. But he said any disciplinary decisions must be based on the findings of an internal affairs investigation, per state law, collective bargaining agreements, and department rules and procedures.