BOSTON — Recommendations for discipline against Boston police officers are sitting for months without action, according to a 25 Investigates review of the city’s independent police accountability system.
25 Investigates found the independent office created to improve police transparency is investigating citizen complaints and making recommendations, but some believe Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox is ignoring them.
“It’s really hard to hold police officers accountable,” said Annemarie Grant, who filed a complaint against a Boston Police sergeant in 2023 and says there is still no resolution.
25 Investigates first met Grant in the fall of 2024. At that point, she had been waiting a year for OPAT — Boston’s Office of Police Accountability and Transparency — to investigate her complaint against the sergeant she claimed had bullied her nephew.
Cell phone captured parts of the alleged incident. 25 Investigates is not identifying the officer because the case remains pending.
After 25 Investigates’ reporting last year, OPAT reviewed her case. In November 2024, OPAT’s Civilian Review Board recommended the sergeant face a 5- to 30-day suspension.
“And what happened to that recommendation?” Kavanaugh asked.
“Nothing as far as I can tell,” Grant said. “I’ve reached out to OPAT several times since the recommendation came out asking them what the status was with Commissioner Cox.”
25 Investigates found a pattern of delays when it comes to Boston Police responding to OPAT disciplinary recommendations.
According to OPAT’s most recent annual report, the Civilian Review Board heard 19 cases during fiscal year 2025. Eight cases were sustained, including 19 sustained allegations. In June, OPAT received responses from Commissioner Cox to four of the eight sustained cases, referring all four to the department’s Internal Affairs unit to “evaluate the CRB’s findings and recommended discipline to determine whether the Department concurs and whether any additional action is warranted.”
When asked, OPAT’s executive director Evandro Carvalho provided 25 Investigates with updated data, saying they are still waiting for responses to eight sustained cases dating back to April 2024.
He noted “the Commissioner has provided several responses recently to more recent cases, mostly indicating OPAT’s reports were now being sent to BPD’s Internal Affairs Division for review/investigation”
OPAT Civilian Review Board member Joshua Dankoff says some people come to OPAT specifically to avoid Internal Affairs.
“People came to the OPAT office specifically to not go to internal affairs, and it seems like a roundabout and quite frankly not terribly respectful of the community’s wishes,” Dankoff said.
Dankoff said the recommendations the board sends to the commissioner largely aren’t being followed — and in some cases, the board isn’t getting any response at all.
“The city council created this office out of an interest in having police accountability and transparency, and that shouldn’t be undermined by slowing down the process,” he said.
25 Investigates requested an interview with Commissioner Cox. BPD did not directly respond to our request.
In September, OPAT’s full Civilian Review Board sent a communication to the commissioner raising concern about the status of their recommendations. It stated in part: “Boston cannot move forward with a police accountability system that is ignored by police leadership and employees.”
“What is that message do you think to the community and to your board?” Kavanaugh asked Dankoff.
“It’s a concerning message that cases can sit for so long after they’ve been reviewed and investigated from the CRB side,” Dankoff said.
For Grant, whose case has lingered for more than two years, the delays speak to a broader problem.
“He doesn’t respect OPAT as a board. He doesn’t respect the Boston community who wanted OPAT in place, and that it’s just more smoke and mirrors for the community,” she said.
In their letter, the Civilian Review Board also said some Boston police officers are not cooperating with investigations.
25 Investigates sent multiple written requests to the Boston Police Department asking to speak with Commissioner Cox. Two hours before our story was set to air Tuesday, December 9th on Boston 25, we received the following written statement from a department spokesperson:
“The Boston Police Department appreciates the work that OPAT and the Civilian Review Board perform. We understand the concerns raised about instances where officers or civilian employees declined to participate in OPAT-initiated interviews. While the Department supports meaningful civilian oversight, we must also comply with state law, collective bargaining agreements, and Department Rules and Procedures governing the conduct of administrative investigations. Massachusetts General Laws, Civil Service rules and guidance, and collective bargaining agreements take precedence over municipal ordinances and govern the Department’s ability to sustain allegations or issue disciplinary action. Under this framework, the Department cannot sustain an allegation or impose discipline solely on the basis of OPAT or CRB findings without an Internal Affairs investigation. Even in instances where the Commissioner agrees with OPAT’s findings and conclusions, the Police Department must conduct its own investigation before a finding can be sustained or discipline imposed. With this procedural framework in mind, moving forward we have requested that OPAT share with the Department the evidence and materials relied upon in reaching its findings. Transparent exchange of information is essential to ensuring accuracy, fairness, and consistency across our review processes, which is a goal both agencies share. We also acknowledge OPAT’s concerns regarding delays in departmental responses. The Department has taken several steps to reduce backlogs and improve coordination. Moving forward, OPAT will receive written notice in every case explaining whether a CRB recommendation is adopted, modified, or not implemented, along with a clear explanation for the decision.”
— Boston Police Department spokesperson
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