Shannon Dooling

No Outsiders Need Apply: Why One City Settled for a Police Chief Accused of Harassment

A Massachusetts mayor wanted to look outside for a chief to clean up a “toxic” police department. But a city ordinance forced him to promote from within.

Boston City Councilors Seek Review of Surveillance Tech Purchase by Police

After a WBUR/ProPublica investigation revealed Boston Police bought spy tech using funds hidden from the public, city legislators called for a review of the transaction.

Boston Police Bought Spy Tech With a Pot of Money Hidden From the Public

Massachusetts police can seize and keep money from drug-related arrests. No one has publicly reported how that money gets spent. A WBUR/ProPublica investigation found that Boston police used over $600,000 of it on a controversial surveillance device.

This State’s Legislators Want to Overhaul the System That Lets Law Enforcement Keep People’s Money

Following our investigation, Massachusetts lawmakers are calling for changes to the state’s civil asset forfeiture system, which allowed one top prosecutor to keep people’s money for years, even when they weren’t charged with a crime.

Massachusetts Police Can Easily Seize Your Money. The DA of One County Makes It Nearly Impossible to Get It Back.

Massachusetts prosecutors can hold on to seized money indefinitely, even when people are not charged with a crime. In Worcester County, it’s so hard to get one’s money back, some legal experts say it may violate due process rights.

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