public records Archives

Police preparing to move on the protesters at UMass, May 7, 2024. Photo: Leyla Moushabeck.

UMass Paid $446K for Report Exonerating Chancellor in Police Assault on Student Encampment

The police intervention … involved over 200 police officers including UMass Police, State Troopers (including the State Police Special Emergency Response Team (SERT)), Town of Amherst police, Town of Hadley police, and members of the Hampshire and Hampden County Sheriff’s offices.

ART KEENE May 15, 2025

In Their Words: Here’s What MBTA Workers Say About Their Agency

“Employees feel that they give feedback in surveys and then nothing changes.” “Communication is not direct and not consistent.”

CHRIS FARAONE January 7, 2025

NEW BINJ COLLABORATION WITH INVISIBLE INSTITUTE

The lack of comprehensive employment history data in Massachusetts is driven home by the launch of a data tool for exactly that information from 17 other states this week

CHRIS FARAONE September 18, 2024

Half The Story: A Deep Dive On What’s Come Of Police Reform In Massachusetts

Massachusetts passed historic police certification reform. But even with the POST Commission, the public can’t see which cops have been part of the “officer shuffle.”

CHRIS FARAONE AND SAM STECKLOW September 18, 2024

LACK OF TRAINS-PARENCY AT MBTA

The T commissioned multiple safety studies costing millions, but officials refuse to release the reports. Transparency advocates say the agency is using “Orwellian doublespeak” to conceal the findings.

DAN ATKINSON July 15, 2024

PUBLIC RECORDS CRISIS DEEPENS

The case pertains to an investigation into the use of rodenticides by government agencies You have five days to agree to give us $22,000, or else … While this may sound like an extortion note from a B movie, it’s essentially a newly state sanctioned proper response to a public

MAYA SHAFFER May 2, 2022

A WIN FOR TRANSPARENCY AND POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY IN MASS

“We don’t go into things looking to file lawsuits, but when we feel like people have not followed the law, we challenge them.” A judge excoriated Worcester for its unlawful three-year campaign to keep police misconduct records secret from a local newspaper, writing in a recent ruling that a city

ANDREW QUEMERE February 8, 2022

HOW THE COMMONWEALTH CONTINUES DRIFT AWAY FROM TRANSPARENCY

This is what happens when you try asking the second largest city in Mass and state officials to adhere to basic public records laws Across Massachusetts, today is actually tomorrow. Except in Worcester, where it’s already the day after tomorrow. But if that would make it the weekend, then

MAYA SHAFFER December 13, 2021

IT’S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO OBTAIN POLICE RECORDS IN MASS. WILL THAT EVER CHANGE?

For anybody trying to get public information on police in Mass, there are several stumbling blocks, any number of which stymied USA Today.

MAYA SHAFFER June 20, 2020

AG HEALEY’S OFFICE BLOCKS ACCOUNTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SHIELDS BAD ACTORS ACROSS STATE

Now records we have received from Healey’s shed light on why her office may be avoiding the issue—her office is also guilty of the same kind of questionable social media management.

MAYA SHAFFER February 26, 2020