Boston Launches Police Accountability Office With $1 Million and New Director

BOSTON — July 22, 2026 — Boston Mayor Kim Janey announced the creation of the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, named its first director, and pledged a one-third cut to police overtime in a press conference held against the backdrop of the Derek Chauvin trial and the fatal shooting of Boston resident DeLois Brown. Janey committed $1 million in the forthcoming FY22 budget to stand up OPAT and named attorney Stephanie Everett as Executive Director, giving the office authority to review all BPD internal affairs cases and issue subpoenas for records. The overall BPD budget of just under $400 million would see a nearly 5 percent reduction — short of Janey's prior call for a 10 percent cut, which she said would worsen overtime spending given that roughly 10 percent of the force is on sick leave. Janey also ordered the release of Patrick Rose's 1995 internal affairs file — held by the city's law department — by week's end, with redactions to protect victims, and directed Superintendent-in-Chief Greg Long and Health Chief Marty Martinez to deliver a mental health crisis response pilot plan within 90 days.