Boston Council Hearing Exposes Police Overtime Data Gaps and Absent Commissioner

BOSTON — May 19, 2026 — Boston City Council committee presses police department on overtime costs with commissioner absent. The Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice, chaired by at-large Councillor Henry Santana, held a joint hearing Tuesday on Dockets 0591 and 0696, covering police detail reimbursement and department staffing, but Police Commissioner Michael Cox declined to appear despite being invited. Lisa O'Brien, Bureau of Administration and Technology Chief, testified alone, confirming the department has 2,102 officers available for active duty — roughly 400 below the 2,500-officer minimum required by state law — and projecting approximately 120 retirements in the coming fiscal year. O'Brien reported $43,059,295 billed and $48,790,000 collected in police detail charges for fiscal year 2026, an 82 percent collection rate, with a 10 percent administrative fee returning an estimated $3 million annually to the city's general fund. Councillor Ed Murphy called Cox's absence "insulting," noting the commissioner earns $359,895 per year, while Councillor Webber cited figures showing Boston logged 1.3 million hours of police overtime three years ago — more than double the 500,000 hours that drew public criticism in Seattle.