‘Snitch City’ Fallout: Report Calls for New Bedford Police Reforms

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — The firm retained by the City of New Bedford to conduct an independent evaluation of the New Bedford Police Department’s policies and practices following the Boston Globe’s “Snitch City” series has issued its report and recommendations.

Earlier this year, the Globe’s Spotlight team released the multi-part print and podcast series “Snitch City,” which suggested that former New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira, who announced his retirement shortly before the series was released, operated outside the bounds of the law while a narcotics detective and was the subject of multiple FBI investigations.

The series was also critical of how Oliveira and others within the department dealt with the use of confidential informants, or C.I.s.

That led to Mayor Jon Mitchell selecting 21st Century Policing Solutions (21CP), a nationally-renowned law enforcement consultancy, to review the department’s internal affairs unit, known as the Division of Professional Standards, and the use of C.I.s.

READ MORE: New Bedford Hires Firm to Examine Use of C.I.s

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How the Review Was Conducted

“21CP’s review focused on whether the Department’s Organized Crime Intelligence Bureau (OCIB) policies and practices comport with national best practices, and whether NBPD is properly holding its officers accountable,” the City said in a release Wednesday. “The assessment also analyzed whether any gaps currently exist in OCIB’s and Professional Standard’s policies, practices, and procedures that need to be addressed.”

READ MORE: The Complete 21CP Review of the NBPD

The report noted that 21CP “did not uncover evidence of deliberate decisions not to investigate potential misconduct or to discipline misconduct that was found, but instead, we found evidence of weaknesses in the system that could allow misconduct to go undetected or undisciplined.”

“Despite these problems, we were encouraged in our review to repeatedly find NBPD officers who were working diligently to investigate and eliminate misconduct,” the report stated.

Key Recommendations for Oversight

The review recommended that the OCIB take the following steps:

• Develop a clear mission statement and data-driven metrics to analyze performance.
• Update the unit’s policies, procedures and auditing system to align with best practices.
• Strengthen selection criteria for unit supervisors and detectives, and negotiate an exception in its collective bargaining agreement to allow the chief some discretion in selection.
• Strengthen policies and procedures regarding the use of confidential informants, including auditing and accountability practices.
• Operational improvements such as recording encrypted transmissions, enhancing ways to receive and use tips from the public, and limiting risk in property and evidence management while a new evidence room is being constructed.

Fixing Internal Affairs and Discipline

“Separately, 21CP recommended the NBPD adopt a set of comprehensive policies and procedures for its Professional Standards Division that align with national best practices,” the City stated. “The consultants also recommended improvements in multiple aspects of the internal affairs process, including intake and classification of complaints, investigations, documentation and imposition of discipline.”

Those recommendations include:

• It should be led by a supervisor who reports directly to the Chief.
• The public should be able to file complaints more easily.
• The department must ensure all complaints of misconduct are forwarded to the division for classification and investigation.
• The department should update the division’s policies and procedures, including addressing “public safety statements” in training.
• The department should establish a specialized team of supervisors to lead the criminal investigation when a complaint alleges both criminal and administrative violations.
• The department should revamp the misconduct discipline system, including establishing progressive discipline for similar violations, adopting a guide to ensure fair and consistent discipline, and developing a formal process for settling cases in coordination with the City Solicitor’s Office.

Who Conducted the Review

The 21CP review was led by Kathleen O’Toole, former Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety, former Boston Police Commissioner, former Seattle Police Chief, and former Chief Inspector of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate in Ireland.

READ MORE: The 21CP Contract

“An effective police department must be committed to continuous improvement,” O’Toole said. “Our recommendations are designed to help the NBPD strengthen accountability systems, align with nationally recognized best practices, and ensure the department remains responsive to the city it serves.”

Building Public Trust Through Reform

Mayor Mitchell and Police Chief Jason Thody, who was appointed chief while this review process was already underway, both spoke on the value of 21CP’s assessment.

“This is an authoritative report, which offers a clear pathway to improvement,” Mitchell said. “It will enable the Department to build on the significant progress in public safety in recent years, and command the public’s trust in the long run.”

READ MORE: Mayor Pushes Back on Police Chief Confirmation Dispute

“These recommendations provide a useful roadmap for continuous improvement,” Thody said. “The NBPD is always working to strengthen public trust and make New Bedford a safer city for our residents and our officers, and these recommendations will help guide us in that effort.”