Boston city councilors say police oversight office — often overruled by commissioner — needs review

Several Boston City Councilors are calling for a re-examination of the city's police oversight office after reporting by WBUR found Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox rejects the majority of the watchdog agency's disciplinary recommendations.

"We can't just have an office that is rendered toothless and powerless," Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said in an interview Thursday. "Something needs to happen to make sure that we don't just have an office for the sake of having an office, that has no effectiveness."

The Boston City Council created the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT) in 2020 in response to the massive protests against police brutality following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The office takes in complaints against Boston police officers, investigates them and recommends discipline.

But a WBUR investigation found that Cox has routinely flouted disciplinary recommendations in modest as well as serious cases.

In one instance, the watchdog agency found an officer had wrongly identified a teenager as a gang member and punched him in the face with his gun. But Cox chose not to fire him; instead that officer has been promoted to detective.

Of the 18 sustained complaints OPAT has sent to Cox, the commissioner has fully implemented recommendations for discipline just once. In eight of the 18 cases, he has not responded to the oversight office.

City Councilor Enrique Pepén said if a resident raises a concern about police, it should be taken seriously: "We have to make sure that their complaints are being addressed."

Cox, in an interview with WBUR, has defended his actions, saying he relies primarily on internal police investigations when it comes to allegations of police misconduct.

Mayor Michelle Wu, who as a city councilor championed the oversight office, also defended its work. Neither she nor Cox answered questions about the case of the officer violently striking the wrong person.

Community advocates argue the oversight office should have more power to directly order discipline for officers, rather than make recommendations that can be ignored. Councilors called for more attention to the issue in interviews with WBUR.

"Anytime that any office is created by the Boston City Council, we should review if it's serving its purpose," at-large Councilor Henry Santana said.

Louijeune, the council's leader, said she was concerned by Cox's pattern of dismissing the oversight office's work.

"It's concerning if at every step their conclusions or recommendations will be rejected," she said.