Boston’s system to track problem police officers defunct since 2005

Read this article in Commonwealth Magazine.

Since 2005, the Boston Police have failed to implement a system to monitor officers who are prone to misconduct. These systems, often called Early Intervention Systems (EIS), are used in police departments across the country to detect and assist police officers who may be abusing their power or experiencing a personal difficulty that is hindering their job performance. Once officers are flagged by EIS, they could receive additional training or resources, and closer supervision. Although all professions should monitor the performance of their employees, oversight is particularly important in police culture, where officers rarely report the misconduct others and complaints against police are investigated by fellow officers.

Police Chief Ed Davis is finally now reviving EIS, but his only explanation for the long delay is that he was busy with higher priorities.

The article, written by Edward Mason and Tom Mashberg, quotes Howard Friedman and notes that he “has secured some of the largest jury verdicts and settlements against the city in the past decade.”