Local news
Many of the council’s recommendations reflect previous concerns about police body camera footage and immigration tensions.
The memo, which calls for several reforms, is addressed to Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe
A citywide police watchdog has called for reforms to the Boston Police Department’s body camera policies in the wake of two fatal police shootings.
the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT) issued note June 8 addressed to Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox of the department’s Civilian Review Board. The council is responsible for examining civilian complaints regarding alleged police misconduct.
The OPAT memo targets Boston Police policies in two different areas: releasing body camera footage and engaging with federal law enforcement agencies. The memo recommendations include a formal update to Rule 405which details the police department’s body-worn camera policy.
“In light of the recent killings of two Boston community members by on-duty Boston Police Department officers, we are in the midst of intense public dialogue about the Boston Police Department’s policies for use of force against civilians and whether and when body camera footage of these killings will be released,” the memo said.
The board recommended that camera footage of “serious incidents” be released to OPAT within seven days of their occurrence and to the public within 30 days “after consultation with family members of victims and alleged survivors.” These situations are defined by OPAT as “incidents involving the on-duty discharge of a firearm by a BPD officer or employee, as well as police use of force resulting in serious injury or death,” according to the memo.
Memo’s bodycam recommendations mirror city council members’ calls
Although the Optional Protocol on Torture did not explicitly refer to specific instances of the use of deadly force by Boston police officers, the memo’s recommendations echo similar calls from City Council members after the March 11 police shooting of Stevenson King, 39, who was shot dead by police.
The fatal shooting occurred when officers responded to a report of a carjacking in Roxbury. Police said that when they found King behind the wheel of the vehicle in question, he disobeyed their commands and attempted to flee, ramming a police car.
The officers fired their weapons and beat the unarmed King, and he was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. The following week, prosecutors charged Nicholas O’Malley, the officer who allegedly killed King, with manslaughter.
Prosecutors say body camera footage refutes O’Malley’s alleged claim that he fired his weapon because he believed his partner was in danger. However, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden declined to share additional evidence “in the interests of the integrity of this investigation.”
After several council members asked to publish the video, they voted on April 15 in favor to request Body camera footage of all incidents from the beginning of 2025 through April 2026 that did not result in a criminal investigation. This includes footage from incidents involving officers that resulted in settlements or civil actions and incidents involving alleged misconduct that did not result in criminal charges.
The department calls for “disengagement” from federal agencies
Although the memo predates the body camera recommendations, the bulk of the four-page document addresses the Boston Police Department’s relationship with federal law enforcement activities. Federal agencies mentioned include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“In light of aggressive and violent federal policies targeting our immigrant neighbors, as well as the civilian deaths in Minneapolis in January 2026, the Civilian Review Board writes to express its concern about the ongoing cooperation between [Boston police] “Federal law enforcement agencies…” the memo states. “Boston’s commitment to civil rights and community trust requires that the Boston Police Department separate local police activities from federal enforcement practices that undermine Boston Trust Law And the principle of community public safety.”
OPAT’s main interest relates to the practice of collecting and sharing surveillance data with agencies such as the Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC). This data is often collected through field interrogations, license plate readers, and surveillance reports. Sometimes, information is “collected from individuals who are not suspected of any crime,” according to the memo.
Because DHS officials are located inside Boston Police Headquarters, this distribution of information “risks turning ordinary residents into data points within federal systems.” However, OPAT emphasizes that these risks extend beyond undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts.
“In recent years, federal authorities have targeted lawyers, humanitarian workers, political dissidents, and individuals seeking reproductive or gender-affirming health care,” the memo said. “The information sharing that enables such actions — even if technically permissible — exposes vulnerable people to unfair consequences and is inconsistent with Boston’s stated commitment to human rights and fair policing.”
To address these concerns, OPAT recommended that Boston police prohibit the collection or sharing of fingerprints from non-criminal detainees. Under the recommendations, fingerprinting on misdemeanor non-violent, domestic violence or weapons charges that do not require proper identification would require a “supervisory license,” according to the memo.
OPAT also proposed that biometric data for detainees not involved in criminal offenses would not be transferred outside of the Boston Police Department. Additional recommendations include tightening BRIC’s information collection policies and requiring quarterly reports to OPAT and the City Council with “statistical analyzes regarding civil immigration detention requests and law enforcement officials’ responses.”
OPAT urges police to separate from task forces and refuse grants
The watchdog’s concerns about Boston police involvement with federal agencies extend to groups like the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. The memo criticizes the cooperation with these task forces and condemns the lack of “timely responses to public records requests related to these federal partnerships.”
“While combating violent crime and terrorism is essential, continued cooperation with federal agencies whose civilian immigration activities target immigrant communities puts Bostonians at risk and undermines local accountability,” the OPAT memo said.
The solution to these ambiguous collaborations is to withdraw from specific federal task forces, create a public list of “all formal and informal partnerships,” and release records of all relevant federal information requests, according to the council.
OPAT also recommended that both Boston Police and the city itself decline DHS funds, because “local and federal entanglement in immigration and intelligence programs conflicts with the City’s commitment to fairness and transparency.” But they warned that the city should take a “precautionary approach” to withdrawing from these funding sources.
An OPAT representative was not available for comment, and Boston Police did not respond to a request for comment.
Subscribe to our newsletter today
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered straight to your inbox every morning.