MA Post Commission Releases Police Disciplinary Records Database

MASSACHUSETTS — A new state agency that oversees police training and discipline has released a long-awaited database of sustained disciplinary actions taken against officers working in departments across the state.

The POST Commission's database provides details on over 3,400 disciplinary actions taken against police officers, most of whom are certified to continue working as police. The disciplinary actions include a range of misconduct, including racial bias, excessive force, fabricating evidence and criminal arrests.

The database does not include complaints that were determined to be unfounded by the local departments. About 167 agencies reported no sustained misconduct on behalf of their officers. The commission oversees 440 police departments in the state, including departments in local cities and towns, plus hospital and college departments.

The departments with the most sustained complaints were state police at 493, Springfield police at 417 and Boston police at 373. In many instances, a single officer drove a majority of the sustained complaints for a given department. For example, Cohasset police reported 12 misconduct incidents, but nine were from Officer Jeffrey Treanor, who was most recently suspended in December for up to 29 days for "neglect of duty," according to the database.

Here are the most common misconduct findings against police officers, according to the database:

1. Conduct unbecoming: 1,722 incidents, which includes behavior out of line with a given department's professional standards.
2. Failure to respond according to established procedure: 158 incidents, an indication of potential lapses in following standard procedures.
3. Motor vehicle accidents, unsafe operation, or damage: 146 incidents.
4. Improper processing of prisoners or property: 77 incidents.
5. Use of excessive, non-deadly force: 75 incidents.
6. Alcohol or drug abuse: 61 incidents.

Here are the most common disciplinary actions taken against officers, according to the database:

1. Suspension of 1 to 5 days: 880 incidents
2. Written reprimand: 582 incidents
3. Written warning or letter of counseling: 409 incidents
4. Retraining: 319 incidents
5. Suspension of 30+ days: 240 incidents
6. Termination or similar: 125 incidents

Civil rights groups in Massachusetts praised the release of the database, but said there's more work to be done. The group Lawyers for Civil Rights highlighted that disciplinary findings against two Arlington officers accused of racial bias in a recent lawsuit appear in the database as "other misconduct" — and many other entries have similarly limited detail.

"LCR therefore applauds the POST Commission's step towards greater transparency, but urges the Commission to make more information publicly available, so that Massachusetts communities can hold law enforcement accountable and bring about needed reforms," the group said.

The POST Commission was created following George Floyd's murder in 2020 as part of a wider set of policing reforms in Massachusetts. Apart from tracking discipline, the commission also certifies officers as fit for duty. Among the 3,400 officers found at fault for misconduct, about 1,500 were certified for duty by the commission.

The commission has suspended the certifications of 39 police officers because they have been arrested, charged or indicted for a felony. The commission will revoke certification if an officer is found guilty of a misdemeanor.

The public can view the disciplinary database on the POST Commission website.