The unions representing Boston Police superior officers and detectives have a lot of bones to pick with the city council and mayor and want a judge to order them to back off telling them how to do their jobs but also hire at least 500 more officers right away. Read more.
Cox speaks at Gertrude Howes Playground in Roxbury as former SJC Justice Geraldine Hines, on the commissioner search committee, listens.
Mayor Wu today announced she has appointed Michael Cox, a lifelong Bostonian who rose through BPD ranks to assume a variety of command posts, as the city's new police commissioner. Read more.
Suspended Boston cop Dana Lamb of Roslindale got six months probation yesterday for trying to skip out on the taxes he owed on a $10,000 winning lottery scratch ticket. Read more.
A federal judge ruled today that four people at a George Floyd vigil on the Common on May 31, 2020 can try to convince a jury that Boston Police officers violated their First Amendment rights by attacking them with pepper spray, fists and a bicycle afterwards and that the city created a culture where such a thing could happen. Read more.
Note: Updated with comments from a city spokesman.
Boston Police conducted active-shooter drills this week, including outside school, giving officers a chance to practice how they'd respond to a person with a high-capacity weapon running amok.
The only problem, at least at the Irving Middle School in Roslindale today, is that the school was locked down today and at least some teachers were told this was no drill. Read more.
Mayor Wu today released more detailed files related to the child-rape case involving a police officer who eventually became head of the patrolmen's union, said his initial case should never have been allowed to linger as long as it did and said she hopes to work with the Boston police union to ensure somebody like him will never again be allowed to remain on the force. Read more.
A Boston Police officer who shot a man eight times on a deserted Newmarket Square street early on Feb. 22, 2019 was justified because the man had just shot the officer's partner twice after they woke him up and then tried to drive away, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office announced today. Read more.
City Councilor Kendra Lara (Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Mission Hill) today proposed creation of a city office to hire hundreds of Boston residents to provide traffic flagging at the growing number of construction projects she says Boston Police simply can't cover. Read more.
The owner of Antico Forno and Terramia, the owner of Vinoteca di Monica and a Boston police officer are seeking to join a lawsuit against Boston against the requirement for people to show proof of vaccination for most public indoor spaces that was lifted in February. Read more.
A Boston Police officer who says he suffered permanent injuries in a crash on Hyde Park Avenue at Ukraine Way and is no longer able to work is suing the drivers and companies he says were to blame. Read more.
Patrick Rose, former president of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association, pleaded guilty today to raping six children over 27 years. Read more.
The FBI is offering $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest of whoever stole four pieces of BPD clothing from a uniform store in Weymouth last month: Read more.
A federal judge today dismissed or put on hold much of Dennis White's wrongful-termination suit against Boston for the way he was booted as police commissioner by then acting Mayor Kim Janey, but gave White two weeks to filed a more detailed rationale for why his due-claims shouldn't be dismissed as well. Read more.
WBZ reports on a City Council hearing, led by Julia Mejia (at large) yesterday. You can watch the entire hearing above.
The Globe reports on the peregrinations of Joe Abasciano, who is, among other things, still under investigation for a possible 1/6 role. He's the second Trumpist on the West Roxbury Republican Ward Committee to move to greener pastures: Ex-Bircher Hal Shurtleff also decamped for New Hampshire.
The cruiser that was on fire. Photo by Chris in 02134.
On the lower side of Forest Hills station around 12:05 p.m. The officer inside was able to get out OK. A passerby with a fire extinguisher helped extinguish the fire, which apparently started in the vehicle's electronics in the rear, before it could consume the entire vehicle. Boston firefighters responded and made sure the fire was completely out. Traffic towards Jamaica Plain on Hyde Park Avenue was diverted at Ukraine Way.
Boston Police report that Joe Martinez, a BPD officer since 2008, was arrested today in Norwood on charges of possession of child pornography, posing a child under 18 for nude photos and secret sex surveillance of a nude person under 18.
Following his arrest by police in Norwood, BPD put Martinez on administrative leave, police say.
Innocent, etc.
A Boston police officer was arraigned in Dorchester court today for allegedly trying to intimidate an internal-affairs investigator who'd had him placed on administrative leave for moving out of Boston before his union contract said he could. Read more
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