Police Accountability

The ACLU of Massachusetts seeks to create police departments that work collaboratively with all of the communities they serve through increased transparency, accountability, and fairness.

White graphic with three images layered. A purple square image of metal bars, a blue image of a gavel, and an orange image of baby justice

We rely on police to uphold public safety, but we also entrust police with extraordinary authority, including the powers to use deadly force and to decide who gets stopped, searched, arrested, and funneled into the criminal legal system. This great power must be balanced by accountability and transparency.

The ACLU relies on various strategies to challenge a broad range of unjust police practices – including litigation to defend the right to record police in the performance of their public duties, as well as policy advocacy to win broader measures to hold public officials accountable.

The Latest

Press Release
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Final settlement reached in lawsuit against Hampden County Sheriff for the death of Madelyn Linsenmeir

The ACLU, together with Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts and Goulston & Storrs, finalized a settlement with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department in a civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of the estate of Madelyn Linsenmeir. 
Issue Areas: Police Accountability
Press Release
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ACLU of Massachusetts statement on US Department of Justice report in Worcester investigation

These alarming findings confirm once again that Massachusetts is not — and never has been — immune to police misconduct.
Issue Areas: Police Accountability
Press Release
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ACLU of Massachusetts calls for urgent federal investigation into violent death of State Police recruit, allegations of abuse

The death of Enrique Delgado-Garcia and allegations of abuse and discrimination at the Massachusetts State Police Academy require a thorough independent investigation.
Issue Areas: Police Accountability
Press Release
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Wrongful death lawsuit against Boston, four police officers can now proceed to trial

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the estate of Shayne Stilphen, who died of an overdose while in the custody of the Boston Police Department.
Issue Areas: Police Accountability
Court Case
Feb 17, 2023

Okosi v. Roby

The ACLU and Todd & Weld filed a lawsuit on behalf of Michael Okosi, seeking justice for the harm he suffered—including physical and emotional injuries—based on the lies of one police officer.
Court Case
Dec 12, 2022

ACLU of Massachusetts v. Executive Office of Public Safety and Security et al.

The ACLU of Massachusetts, together with law firm Wolf Greenfield, filed a lawsuit against two Massachusetts agencies for failing to produce public records regarding the state’s use of automatic license plate reader (ALPR) technology.
Court Case
Dec 06, 2022

ACLU of Massachusetts v. City of Pittsfield

The ACLU of Massachusetts filed a public records lawsuit against the City of Pittsfield for failing to produce the Pittsfield Police Department’s policies, procedures, and records of street-level interactions.
Court Case
Jun 21, 2022

Stilphen v. City of Boston

The ACLU of Massachusetts, together with law firm Goodwin Procter LLP, filed a civil rights lawsuit on behalf of the family of Shayne Stilphen for his wrongful death while in the custody of the Boston Police Department.