Boston Police Department" on dewiki

{{Infobox Police Department
| name            = Boston Police Department
| logo            = [[Image:Boston Police patch.jpg|250px]]
| motto           = 
| established     = 1631—1635
| jurisdiction    = Municipal
| sworn           = 2,015
| non-sworn       = 808
| CSO             = 
| stations        = 11
| jails           = 
| helicopters     = 
| policeboats     = Yes (Harbor Patrol & Dive Team Divisions)
| chief           = 
| sheriff         = 
| superintendent  = Robert Dunford
| commissioner(s) = Edward Davis
| supervisor(s)   = 
}}
The '''Boston Police Department''' ('''BPD''') has the primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the city of [[Boston, Massachusetts]]. It is the 20th largest department in the [[United States]] and is arguably the oldest police department in the country. 

==History==
The first night watch was established in Boston in 1631 with an officer and six men.  By 1635 the watch consisted of property owning males over 16 who were required to take turns at the duty without pay.  In 1703 pay in the sum of 35 shillings a month was set.  In 1796, the Watch was reorganized and the watchmen carried a badge of office, a rattle, and a six-foot pole, which was painted blue and white with a hook on one end and a bill on the other. The hook was used to grab fleeing criminals, and the rounded “bill” was used as a weapon. The rattle was a noise-making device used for calling for assistance.

In 1838 the Day Police was organized, having no connection with the Night Watch. The Day Police operated under the city marshal and had six appointed officers. In 1853, the Harbor Police was created in response to the increase in robberies of occupied vessels in the waters of [[Boston Harbor]]. They were furnished with rowboats and armed with [[Colt revolver]]s. This was the first unit furnished with firearms. 

The Boston Police Department was formally founded in May of 1854, at which point the Boston Watch and Day Police were disbanded, and the Boston Police department came into being. The old hook and bill, which had been in use for one hundred and fifty-four years, was replaced by a fourteen-inch club.

At the time of its founding, the Boston Police constituted the first paid, professional police service in the United States, but its roots can be even further traced back to the 18th century and Boston's appointment of an "Inspector of Police." In 1854, the department was closely organized and modeled after [[Sir Robert Peel]]'s (London) [[Metropolitan Police Service]].

===1919 police strike===
{{main|Boston Police Strike}}
On [[September 9]] [[1919]], the Boston Police went on strike, signaling a dramatic shift in traditional labor relations and views on the part of the police, who were unhappy with stagnant wages and poor working conditions. When Police Commissioner [[Edwin Upton Curtis]] refused to allow the creation of a police union, 1,117 BPD officers went on strike. The city soon fell into riots and public chaos as over three-fourths of the department was no longer enforcing public peace. Governor [[Calvin Coolidge]] intervened to quash further chaos. Coolidge announced that the police did not have the right to strike against the public safety and brought in the state national guard to restore order to Boston. The strike was broken, permanently, when Coolidge hired replacement police officers, many of whom were returning servicemen from [[World War I]], and the former officers were refused re-entry into the department. Ironically, the new officers hired in the wake of the strike received higher salaries, more vacation days and city-provided uniforms, the very demands the original strikers were requesting. The BPD strike set a precedent for further movements to stymie police unionization around the country.

Coolidge's intervention in the strike brought him national fame which, in turn, led to his nomination as [[Warren G. Harding|Harding's]] running mate for Vice-President in the 1920 presidential election.

===Busing callout===

In 1974, the BPD was involved in maintaining order during the public disturbance over court-ordered [[desegregation busing|busing]] to racially-integrate Boston's public school system. Unrest was particularly focused around schools, requiring the BPD to increase patrols and maintain readiness for much of the mid-1970s.

===Milestones===

On August 23, 1995 the BPD became the first police agency in the world to send fingerprint images to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] electronically.  The first set of fingerprints were for a suspect arrested for armed robbery. Within hours of the receipt of the fingerprints, the FBI determined that the suspect had a number of prior arrests, including one for assault with intent to kill.<ref>[http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/annualreports/ar95/chapter2.htm#technology Chapter II Supporting Law Enforcement in the Community<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Merger===

On December 31, 2006, 31 [[Boston Municipal Police]] Officers were merged with the Boston Police. On January 1, 2007, the rest of the Muni's were either laid off or transferred to the city's Municipal Protective Services, which provides security to the city's Property Management Department. 

The merger was planned in mid-2006 by Mayor [[Thomas M. Menino]].  It was met with heavy protest from the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association. The BPPA's argument was that the Municipal officers not qualified to be Boston police officers due to lack of training, political patronage, nepotism and the fact that the Muni's were not civil service tested. <ref>According to Pat Rose.[http://www.masscops.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21423 37 Boston Municipal Officers don't qualify for merger]</ref>

=== 2006 corruption case ===

In summer 2006, the department was rocked with scandal when officers Robert Pulido, Carlos Pizaro and  Nelson Carrasquillo were arrested in [[Miami, Florida]] and charged with conspiracy to distribute [[cocaine]]. Pulido was also charged with hosting parties at which other BPD officers fraternized with drug dealers.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} <ref>''Boston Globe'', July 22, 2006.</ref>

The scandal came at a particularly bad time for the BPD, as Boston's homicide rate had increased drastically in 2006. The majority of these murders remain unsolved, a fact that many community leaders attribute to a lack of trust between the city's police and its residents.

=== 2007 Mooninite Scare ===
{{main|2007 Boston Mooninite Scare}}
The '''January 31, 2007 Boston bomb scare''' ('''Boston advertising security scare''', '''Aqua-Gate''' or '''Boston Mooninite ad scare''') occurred when 911 callers mistakenly identified small electronic promotions found throughout [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] and the surrounding cities of [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]] and [[Somerville, Massachusetts|Somerville]] as possible explosives.  Upon investigation by Boston Police and other agencies <ref name="BG">{{cite news | author = Smalley, Suzanne | coauthors = Mishra, Raja | title = Froth, fear, and fury | url = http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/02/01/froth_fear_and_fury/?page=full | work = [[The Boston Globe]] | publisher = The New York Times Company | date = [[2007-02-01]] | accessdate = 2007-02-02}}</ref> the suspicious devices turned out to be battery-powered [[LED]] placards with an image of a cartoon character called a "[[mooninite]]" used in a [[guerrilla marketing]] campaign for ''[[Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters]]'', a film based on the animated [[television series]] ''[[Aqua Teen Hunger Force]]'' (''ATHF'') on [[Cartoon Network]]'s [[Adult Swim]] late-night programming block.<ref name="BG" />

==BPD today==
[[Image:BostonPoliceKiosk.jpg|222px|thumb|right|Boston Police Department [[kiosk]] in [[Downtown Crossing]]]]
The Boston Police Department currently has approximately 2,015 officers and 808 civilian personnel, with patrol services covering an area of  89.6 [[square mile|mi²]] (232.1 [[square kilometre|km²]]) and a population of 589,141. The BPD currently requires all employed officers hired since 1995 to live within Boston city-limits, and this has led to calls for pay raises to help officers meet the city's high cost of living. The BPD currently is divided into 11 neighborhood districts spread across the city, each supervised by a Captain. 

The Boston Police Department is organized into bureaus under the Office of the Police Commissioner. The Chief of Staff, media liaisons and the Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC) also operate out of the Commissioner's office. 

The Bureau of Field Services (BFS) consists of the 11 police districts and [[Boston Police Special Operations Unit|Special Operations]]. It is the largest bureau and its main responsibility is tactical patrol and crime prevention. 
The Bureau of Investigative Services (BIS) consists of the Homicide Unit, Drug Control Unit, Family Justice Center, the Youth Violence Strike Force (gang unit) and Forensic Science Division. Superintendent Paul Joyce is the current head of the BIS. 

Other bureaus include the Bureau of Administrative Services, led by a civilian, Christopher Fox, and the Bureau of Professional Development, which encompasses the Training and Education Division, headed by Superintendent Robert Harrington.

The Boston Police rank structure is as follows: 

*Police Officer/Detective
**Detective is not a rank but a rating bestowed upon the patrolman after passing a written test and the newly established Career Review Board.
*Sergeant/Sergeant Detective
**Certain jobs within the department are designated as Detective Supervisor jobs (District Det. Supervisor, Sexual Assault Unit, Domestic Violence, etc.), thus, Detective Supervisors earn their "rating" after serving a certain amount of time in said role.
*Lieutenant/Lieutenant Detective
**Certain jobs within the department are designated as Detective Supervisor jobs (District Det. Supervisor, Sexual Assault Unit, Domestic Violence, etc.), thus, Detective Supervisors earn their "rating" after serving a certain amount of time in said role.
*Captain/Captain Detective
**Certain jobs within the department are designated as Detective Supervisor jobs (District Det. Supervisor, Sexual Assault Unit, Domestic Violence, etc.), thus, Detective Supervisors earn their "rating" after serving a certain amount of time in said role.
*Deputy Superintendent
*Superintendent
*Superintendent In Chief (This position is not always utilized)
*Commissioner (civilian)  

Deputy Superintendents and above serve at the pleasure of the Police Commissioner and in the case of the Commissioner, the Mayor.

Boston's Police Commissioner was [[Kathleen O'Toole]], the first woman to serve in that position, until she resigned from her commissionership on [[June 30]] [[2006]] to take a new position as Inspector General of the Irish national police force, [[Garda Siochána]]. Upon her departure, Albert Goslin was appointed acting commissioner.

The current Boston Police Commissioner is Edward Davis, who was Chief of Police in [[Lowell]], MA prior to this appointment. His appointment to the Boston Police Department brought in a renewed era of policing in the city of Boston.

== Community Policing ==
In the 1990s the Police Department resurrected an old idea, the Walk & Talk strategy. Police Officers assigned to patrol cars are required to walk a particular area for up to 45 minutes or longer per their tour of duty. The establishment of other initiatives like "Same Cop Same Neighborhood" and "Safe Street Beat Teams" have contributed widely to the continued success of community policing. These types of direct patrol are used even more widely today under the leadership of Police Commissioner Davis. Under his command Police Officers that are even assigned normally to administrative duties or Patrol Supervisors are encouraged to perform a foot patrol. This type of patrol assignment is referred to as a Code 19.

With the renewed emphasis on placing the Police Officer back in the community through the use of foot patrols and other community related police initiatives the city of Boston saw a drastic decline in part one crimes and other crimes. The community policing philosophy that the Boston Police so well integrated into its daily operation is now used across the city and the nation.

Sections of Boston,such as [[Allston]] had an established walking and bicycle patrol in the late 90's and continued this type of patrol indefinitely. It was eventually expanded to all three patrol shifts. Other areas of Allston and Boston also received similar patrols with the establishment of the newer initiatives such as Beat Teams. Each part of the city assigned one or more Police Officers to these areas as dedicated foot or bicycle patrol officers.On Harvard Avenue the department's effort to keep the same Police Officer in the same neighborhood paid off tremenduously. One aspect of Community Policing program is for the Police Officers on patrol to come up with new and effective ways to resolve concerns or problems in their area. By keeping the same Police Officer in the same neighborhood the department allowed creative problem solving methods to be utilized by motivated Police Officers.

In Allston, Police Officer Relerford developed the Person of Concern List or "[[POC List]]". A list was developed of only those indiviuals that impacted the Police Officers area of patrol in a negative way. Their impact had to be frequent and correspond to the hours or shift the Police Officer patrolled primarily. The list was then prioritized by the type of crime and how frequent the Police Officer either received complainants or interacted with the POC List member through patrol. For example:  If a Police Officer routinely walked through a particular intersection during patrol and the same person is standing there each day, several hours a day outside a liquor store without just cause there could be a problem. This observation, coupled with reports of alleged drug dealing and conversations with other Police Officers about this indiviual would make this person a viable target for the POC List. Once an individual(s)are identified and listed then the Police Officer would focus his attention toward the top 5-10 POC List members. Everything possible must be learned about these individuals, including criminal habits, schedules, family, friends and their association with other POC List members. Then they could be engaged effectively. Engagement can happen at anytime depending on the circumstances. The engagement is crucial since most drug dealers carry weapons, knives or may have access to either. A Police Officer would engage using normal or practical patrol skills for conducting a felony or misdemeantor threshold inquiry. It is important that your target is aware that you initiated this threshold inquiry and why. This is usually where your interpersonal communication skills and experience will come into play.  

Not all POC List engagements will be conducted this way. Some members will leave on their own after engagement once or twice, others may require a telephone call to probation, transportation to the hospital for detox, section 12 [pink slip] by family, even increased indiviual police presence or an arrest. It varies widely on the area and what problem the individual is causing. Police Officer Relerford, an 18 year veteran of the Boston Police Department patrolled these areas and utilized his POC List. The number of POC List members ranged from as high as twenty-five in 2004, when the list was first developed to as low as two in 2008. Members of the POC List who were once near the bottom have moved up to the top. Those at the top have either moved elsewhere, were sentenced to jail, rehabilitated or died. 
 
As a result of this effective manner of patrol public drinking, loitering and homelessness is no longer an acceptable social behavior at those specific locations of concern. Graffiti still remains a problem. The end result are fewer 9-1-1 calls, fewer Citizen Conversation Complaints(CCC) and once acceptable social behaviors that occurred at the busy intersetion of Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue are no longer tolerated by the community. Still other problems may arise and new faces will always appear. It was only with the motivation, skills and experience of police supervisors that their subbordinates can institute effective ways to engage problems in their area of patrol.

== Demographics ==
*Male: 87%
*Female: 13%
*White: 68%
*African-American/Black: 24%
*Hispanic: 6%
*Asian: 2%<ref>[http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/lemas00.pdf Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers]</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts]]

==References==
*[[Francis Russell]]. [http://www.beacon.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=1744 ''A City in Terror: Calvin Coolidge and the 1919 Boston Police Strike''] (Boston: Beacon Press, 1975).
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.ci.boston.ma.us/police/default.asp Boston Police Department official web site]
*[http://www.bpdnews.com Boston Police Department blog, BPDNews.com]
*[http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/04/13/police_union_to_fight_merger/ Boston Globe Article on the Merger]

[[Category:Government of Boston, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Municipal police departments of the United States]]

[[es:Departamento de Policia de Boston]]
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