Boston’s police watchdog is finally flexing its legal muscles. Yesterday, the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT) served subpoenas on nine Boston Police officers, ordering them to show up at a commission meeting scheduled for tomorrow. It is the first time the civilian oversight office has used the subpoena power created after the 2020 reform push, and officials say they are prepared to ask a Superior Court judge to step in if officers refuse, setting up a potential courtroom clash with the department and police unions.
The commission voted unanimously to issue the subpoenas for nine officers, and Executive Director Evandro Carvalho called the move “a significant … step forward in the execution of the duties of our agency,” noting that it is the first time OPAT has exercised that authority, as reported by The Boston Globe. Carvalho declined to release the officers’ names. If they comply, their testimony before the Civilian Review Board will likely take place in executive session while the board weighs several misconduct cases.
A Power Written Into City Law
The Office of Police Accountability and Transparency was created by city ordinance, and the commission was explicitly granted subpoena authority to compel testimony and documents as part of the post-2020 reforms, according to the City of Boston. Supporters said that power was meant to make civilian oversight something more than advisory. OPAT leaders now say they are ready to use the tools the law already put on the books.
Where Police Leadership Stands…