Brian McCarter v. Boston, City of - Police Department (SPR 20251418)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records May 29, 2025 SPR25/1418 Christine O’Donnell, Esq. Assistant Corporation Counsel Office of the Legal Advisor Boston Police Department 1 City Hall Square Boston, MA 02201 Dear Attorney O’Donnell: I have received the petition of Brian McCarter appealing the nonresponse of the Boston Police Department (Department) to a request for public records. See G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On March 23, 2025, Mr. McCarter requested the following: [1] Internal policies, manuals, or memos (2020–present) defining crime classification thresholds, especially for homicides, shootings, aggravated assaults, robbery, and larceny. [2] Documentation of any changes to crime coding or reporting methodology between 2020 and 2025. [3] A list or summary of reclassified or downgraded incidents during that period. [4] Any internal audits or reviews related to the accuracy or methodology of published crime statistics. [5] Anonymized CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) logs for 2024 and 2025 for comparison with official statistics. [6] Copies of Boston’s UCR or NIBRS submissions to the FBI for the years 2020–2025. [7] Copies of any email correspondence from January 1, 2023, to March 5, 2025, between BPD staff, the Mayor’s Office, or any City of Boston communications personnel discussing the preparation, presentation, or framing of crime statistics released to the public or media—including but not limited to the data cited in the Boston Globe on March 4, 2025. Claiming to not yet have received responsive records, Mr. McCarter petitioned this office and this appeal, SPR25/1418, was opened as a result. One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832 • Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre • pre@sec.state.ma.us

Christine O’Donnell, Esq. SPR25/1418 Page 2 May 29, 2025 Despite being notified of the opening of this appeal, it remains unclear whether the Department has provided a response. Accordingly, the Department is ordered to provide Mr. McCarter with a response to his request, provided in a manner consistent with this order, the Public Records Law and its Regulations within ten (10) business days. A copy of any such response must be provided to this office. It is preferable to send an electronic copy of the response to this office at pre@sec.state.ma.us. Mr. McCarter may appeal the substantive nature of the Department’s response within ninety (90) days. See 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). Sincerely, Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records cc: Brian McCarter