BOSTON, MA – Over the last year, there has been a strong public outcry here for a higher level of police accountability.
But the programs implemented to ensure that complaints of officer misconduct are being properly addressed and investigated are now facing criticism for a variety of reasons, including the number of complaints that they have been able to process.
An example of this includes the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT), an independent “police watchdog,” in Boston that was established in early May of last year.
OPAT works independently from the Police Department, and works to review complaints from the public. These responsibilities also included monitoring police and community relations, reviewing Police Department policies, and motivating accountability and transparency.
OPAT also operates under a proposed $1.4 million budget that includes research and administrative support for both its Review Board and Internal Affairs Oversight Panel.
Since its inception, only five out of 15 complaints of officer misconduct have been able to get through the organization’s intake process, all of which still have a pending status in their individual investigations.
Some critics, like Jamarhl Crawford, argue that these numbers seemingly indicate that the organization is not living up to its intended mission.