Boston Police OT Pay For Court Appearances Questioned

The Boston Globe reports that Boston Police collected more than 400 hours of overtime pay over two years for court appearances that prosecutors never officially requested.

The Globe reviewed 40 cases between 2008 and 2010 that appeared to draw an excessive number of police to court. It reported that 32 officers from the department's drug unit received pay — picked up by taxpayers — for 91 instances in which they said they were called to court to testify.

But those officers weren't on the list of those summoned by the district attorney's office.

Boston Police said in each case, a sergeant ordered an officer to court, or a prosecutor verbally requested an appearance.

But a spokesman for the Suffolk County district attorney said there's always a paper record when an officer is asked to appear.