State launches searchable database of Massachusetts police officer disciplinary records

Some of the largest law enforcement departments in Massachusetts also have the most reportable disciplinary records on file, according to a database of law enforcement officer disciplinary records released by state officials on Tuesday.

The top three agencies with the most reportable disciplinary records in the Commonwealth are the Massachusetts State Police, with 493 disciplinary records; Springfield Police, with 417 records and Boston Police, with 373 records, state officials said in a statement.

The online database “contains 3,413 records of 2,165 officers from 273 law enforcement agencies and will be updated regularly,” state officials said.

The earliest disciplinary record reported is from December 1984 and the data is current through Jan. 31, 2023, state officials said.

“Officers who have resigned or retired in good standing are not included; data reflects only those who have resigned or retired to avoid discipline,” officials said.

The database is compiled by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, which was established as part of a 2020 criminal justice reform law to focus on efforts to improve public safety and increase trust between members of law enforcement and state communities.

“We are pleased with the progress of another major directive of our statute,” Enrique Zuniga, the commission’s executive director, said in a statement. “Since its inception, the POST Commission has ensured that we meet statutory obligations while focusing on the critical tasks associated with building this new agency. Over the past year, law enforcement agencies submitted disciplinary records and POST staff has worked carefully to validate these officer records for publishing. We know that releasing this information furthers police accountability and is a matter of great public interest.”

The reports “contain law enforcement agency summaries of sustained allegations and discipline imposed on active police officers,” officials said. “In some instances, the discipline imposed is related to one or more allegations. The database also lists the officer’s name and law enforcement agency, and date and type of allegation.”

Certain CORI information has been redacted, and the data does not reflect “unfounded or non-sustained complaints,” officials said.

According to the state, misconduct records that fall within POST’s reporting requirements are included as outlined below:

• Reports alleging bias on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.

• Complaints regarding 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)

• Criminal misconduct (felonies, misdemeanors)

• Other misconduct (unprofessionalism, policy violations, conduct unbecoming, conformance to rules, etc.)

There are 440 Law Enforcement agencies under POST purview, officials said. Of those, 167 agencies reported having no sustained complaints and are not included in the database. POST has verified that these law enforcement agencies do not have reportable complaints.

Excluding the top three agencies with the most disciplinary records on file, the average number of complaints for other police departments that had reportable disciplinary records is eight, though that number is not weighted to reflect the comparable size of each department, officials said.

The disciplinary records database is available in different formats.

There are two different reports in PDF format (alphabetically by officer, and by agency), and a CSV format. Collectively, these reports will allow the public to search across different criteria and conduct some analytics, officials said.

The database can be accessed by visiting the commission’s website.

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