Policing Dissent
- Read the report
- Watch the video on YouTube
- Media coverage
- Legal documents
- Public records released by the Boston Police Department
- Boston Police Department "intelligence reports" and "incident reports"
Documents and video surveillance tapes obtained by the ACLU of Massachusetts and the National Lawyers Guild, Massachusetts Chapter—after suing for access on behalf of five peace groups, four activists and Political Research Associates—show that officers assigned to the Boston Regional Intelligence Center at the Boston Police Department are collecting and keeping information about constitutionally protected speech and political activity. The documents provide the public with its first glimpse into the political surveillance practices of the Boston Police Department.
the report
media coverage
- Democracy Now!: Boston Police Spied on Protests, Meetings
- Radio Boston: Boston Police: Unlawful Surveillance Or Justified Information Collection?
- WBUR: Groups Fault Boston Police For Surveillance
- Boston Globe: Boston Police accused of spying on antiwar groups
- NECN: Boston PD Accused of Spying on Anti-war Groups
- ACLU Blog of Rights: When Boston Police Spy on Free Speech, Democracy Suffers
legal documents
- Complaint Public records request to Boston Police Department regarding peace groups (6.24.2011)
- Public records request to Boston Police Department regarding activists interrogated by BRIC (3.29.2010)
- Public records request to Boston Police Department regarding suspicious activity reporting (12.28.2009)
public records released by the Boston Police Department
The following are public records released by the Boston Police Department in response to three public records requests and a subsequent lawsuit to compel the department’s response. The first request asked for information about policies and procedures for sharing information with the federal government. Second, we asked for information on individual activists who had been interrogated by BRIC agents. Third, we asked for any information the Boston Police had on a number of local peace groups.
- Boston Police Department "intelligence reports" and "incident reports"
- BRIC Privacy and Civil Rights Policy - Policy that governs how the Boston Regional Intelligence Center will handle personal and sensitive information during law enforcement and intelligence operations
- BRIC Information Sharing Environment through Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) - Privacy policy that applies to officers and employees involved with the Boston Regional Intelligence Center when submitting information to the federal government's Information Sharing Environment (ISE) through Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs)
- BRIC SARs training presentation - Powerpoint presentation explaining Suspicious Activity Reports. Most of the presentation is redacted.
- BRIC Tips and Leads Guidelines - Guidelines for turning tips and leads into Suspicious Activity Reports.
- Template for Suspicious Activity Reports
- BRIC Criminal Intelligence File Guidelines - Guidelines about creating and keeping intelligence files. Includes rule that “interim” files containing no information about crime must be destroyed after 90 days if no crime has occurred.
- Memorandum of Understanding between Brookline Police and BRIC for Cooperation and Information-Sharing
- Memorandum of Understanding between Cambridge Police and BRIC for Cooperation and Information-Sharing
- Memorandum of Understanding between Chelsea Police and BRIC for Cooperation and Information-Sharing
- Boston Police Rule 200: Critical Incident Management
- Memorandum of Understanding between Revere Police and BRIC for Cooperation and Information-Sharing
- Letter from DHS to BRIC Regarding Their Privacy Policy
- Letter from IJIS to BRIC
- Letter from Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance to David Carabin, Director of BRIC
- Letter from Boston Police Department to ACLU
Boston Police Department "intelligence reports" and "incident reports"
"Intelligence reports" on First Amendment activity
These reports, created by officers stationed at the Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), show the extent of police monitoring of peace groups engaged in purely lawful activities.
- 4/13/2010 | Homeland security - domestic | Groups: Stop the Wars Coalition; United for Justice with Peace
- 3/18/2010 | Homeland security - domestic | Groups: United for Justice with Peace; Code Pink
- 5/18/2009 | Groups - Civil Disturbance | Group: Code Pink
- 1/8/2009 | Groups - Extremists | Group: Stop the Wars Coalition
- 10/1/2008 | Homeland security - Domestic | Groups: Stop the Wars Coalition; United for Justice with Peace
- 6/10/2008 | Groups - Extremists | Groups: Code Pink; Stop the Wars Coalition
- 3/26/2008 | Groups - Extremists | Groups: Stop the Wars Coalition; United for Justice with Peace
- 3/20/2008 | Groups - Extremists | Groups: Stop the Wars Coalition; United for Justice with Peace
- 3/11/2008 | Groups - Extremists | Group: United for Justice with Peace
- 1/3/2008 | Homeland security - Domestic | Group: United for Justice with Peace
- 4/2/2007 | Homeland security - Domestic | Group: Code Pink
- 3/28/2007 | Groups - Extremists | Groups: Stop the Wars Coalition; United for Justice with Peace
- 3/27/2007 | Groups - Civil Disturbance | Groups: Stop the Wars Coalition; United for Justice with Peace
Incident reports
Reports documenting times when Boston Police are called to the scene of an event. Some document arrests at Occupy Boston in 2011.
- 10/13/2011 | Disturbing the peace (from Occupy Boston)
- 10/11/2011 | Trespassing
- 10/11/2011 | Disturbing the peace
- 10/11/2011 | Demonstrations/riot
- 10/11/2011 | Trespassing
- 10/11/2011 | Demonstrations/riot
- 10/11/2011 | Trespassing
- 10/11/2011 | Trespassing
- 10/11/2011 | Trespassing
- 10/11/2011 | Trespassing
- 10/11/2011 | Disturbing the peace
- 9/30/2011 | Trespassing
- 9/30/2011 | Demonstrations/riot
- 12/16/2010 | Demonstrations/riot
- 7/29/2010 | Demonstrations/riot
- 7/21/2010 | Demonstrations/riot
- 6/16/2010 | Demonstrations/riot
- 5/31/2010 | Demonstrations/riot
- 5/29/2010 | Demonstrations/riot
- 5/12/2010 | Demonstrations/riot
- 4/21/2010 | Demonstrations/riot
- 3/31/2010 | Demonstrations/riot
- 2/18/2010 | Demonstrations/riot
- 1/18/2010 | Demonstrations/riot
- 10/17/2009 | Investigate person
- 1/8/2009 | Assault and battery
- 12/29/2008 | Demonstrations/riot
- 12/10/2008 | Demonstrations/riot
- 8/13/2008 | Demonstrations/riot
- 11/11/2007 | Disturbing the peace
- 2/28/2007 | Demonstrations/riot