Massachusetts police complaint database launching in coming weeks

BOSTON — A new state database listing complaints against police officers across Massachusetts will soon be going live to the public.

The new Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission initially hoped to launch site this Friday, but it’s been delayed by several weeks.

The database is a key requirement of the criminal justice law that was passed after protests denouncing police brutality swept across the nation.

Data will be accessible from 446 agencies across Massachusetts, including local police departments, state police, college and university police and hospital police.

“We believe making available these records is going to go long a way in enhancing public trust,” said Enrique Zuniga, Executive Director of the POST Commission.

Zuniga said there have been an array of challenges in compiling all of the data from departments in a short amount of time.

“It’s important that this data be solid and that it be validated by the agencies one last time,” explained Zuniga.

The new state commission on police standards is compiling every complaint made against active officers, including those that were unfounded.

“We’re going to start with what has been disposed - suspension, termination or resignation to avoid discipline,” said Zuniga. “We had to collect them for active officers and for officers who had transferred to another agency.”

Some law enforcement officials told Boston 25 News they’re concerned some of the information that’s being included in the database could easily be misconstrued.

“Some of them are not sustained, unfounded, where the officer was exonerated, but their name will still be in the database,” said Chief Michael Bradley with the Upton Police Department. “If they don’t look at the totality of the circumstances, they may think there’s an issue with that officer.”

Chief Bradley, who serves as President of the Mass Chiefs of Police Association, said he fully supports transparency but worries the database will deter new recruits from signing on.

It’s being launched at a time when veteran officers are leaving in record numbers and few new applications are coming in.

“When somebody thinking about getting into this job knows their name will be in a public database for a minor violation, it can certainly deter them from taking on this career,” explained Chief Bradley.

Zuniga said he’s following a directive from the state and points out that all the information being compiled is considered public record.

He told Boston 25 News that he’s still waiting on records from five departments.

“We have been asking those who request those public records to be patient with us,” added Zuniga. “We’ve been working very hard to make sure it’s data that has been validated.”

Local police departments in Massachusetts are only required to keep complaint records for seven years after an investigation is completed.

However, some have records that date back far beyond that.

As of now, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission is not planning to include complaints made against officers who have retired.

Active complaints that are still being investigated won’t be in the database either.

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