A city review of the investigation into a Boston police officer who stayed on the force for years despite being credibly accused of child molestation has led to new recommendations for keeping the department transparent.
The Office of Police Accountability and Transparency's report on the case of Patrick Rose was released Thursday, offering three recommendations about how the
Boston Mayor Kim Janey discussed the findings at a news conference Thursday, saying that the Boston Police Department should have focused on transparency.
"It's shameful that the actions taken seem to have been to protect their own rather than to protect children," she said.
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Rose, a retired officer and the one-time president of the Boston Patrolmen's Association, was able to keep his badge despite sufficient evidence found by Boston Police internal investigators to support allegations that he sexually assaulted a minor, according to documents previously released by the city.
Rose faces 33 charges involving six alleged victims tied to the cases. He has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer has maintained his innocence.
The new recommendations from the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency are:
- Starting investigations into officers charged with violating the law within 48 hours -- the department did not seem to have clear policies on the issue in place in 1995.
- Creating clear guidance for how officers should be punished, after police brass were found not to have taken enough steps to discipline Rose after he was found to have committed misconduct.
- Alert the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency when an officer is charged with violating the law, which requires an update to a city ordinance.
Read the report here:
Janey said Thursday that no one who worked on the original case still works for the city.
