Massachusetts
Entries where the acting authority was Massachusetts (MA), whatever state or country the events took place in.
Jurisdiction is who acted, not where it happened. Federal conduct inside Massachusetts is filed under Federal, not here.
2026 Events (4)
New Bedford, Mass. Sgt. James Marinelli used Flock cameras to track a woman he was dating, department finds
New Bedford, Massachusetts police announced on September 3, 2026 that an internal-affairs investigation, opened August 5, 2026, found Sgt. James Marinelli misused the department's Flock automated license-plate-reader system to track a woman he was dating and her ex-partner, entering pretextual justifications such as trespass, hit-and-run, disorderly conduct, and welfare-check codes to run the searches. Police Chief Jason Thody recommended Marinelli's termination; Marinelli invoked his Fifth Amendment right and declined to give a statement during the investigation. The finding was disclosed alongside a separate, unrelated internal-affairs finding against another New Bedford officer, Emily Pacheco, recorded as its own entry.
Revere, Mass. police officer misused Flock cameras and state database to track ex-girlfriend, suspended without pay
On September 2, 2026, Revere, Massachusetts police confirmed that Officer Michael Tiso had used the department's Flock license-plate-reader cameras and a state database on multiple occasions to track the location of his ex-girlfriend, Marissa Todisco, and her family, following a complaint the department received in December 2025. An internal affairs investigation substantiated the misuse, and Tiso served a three-day unpaid suspension from August 24 to August 26, 2026 before returning to duty; the findings were reported to the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission.
New Bedford, Mass. officer Emily Pacheco accused of using Flock cameras to track ex-girlfriend; judge found her a credible threat
New Bedford, Massachusetts police officer Emily Pacheco was served an abuse-prevention order on August 10, 2026, after her ex-girlfriend's sworn affidavit alleged Pacheco used the department's Flock automated license-plate-reader system to track her, called her repeatedly from disguised numbers, and showed up unannounced at her home. Department data show Pacheco's Flock searches jumped from 18 in April, when the relationship ended, to 259 in May and 220 in June, and a judge found Pacheco poses a credible threat to the ex-girlfriend's physical safety, ordering her to surrender all firearms and suspending her license to carry -- an order extended for six months on August 13 after Pacheco testified the searches were part of a legitimate drug investigation. New Bedford police opened an internal-affairs investigation and Chief Jason Thody temporarily suspended the department's use of Flock pending a review of all past use, after The New Bedford Light asked the department about the allegations.
Stow, Mass. officer used Flock cameras and state databases to track ex-partner who fled abusive relationship
On July 17, 2026, the Stow Police Department filed a criminal complaint against Officer Jason Rogers after a four-week internal-affairs investigation found he used the Flock camera system and the state's CJIS and CORI databases multiple times in 2024 and 2025 to locate a woman who had ended their relationship years earlier. The woman said the relationship had been abusive and that she had changed her identity, phone number, and social-media habits after leaving; she has since obtained a restraining order against Rogers that she said will remain in place for at least a year. Rogers was placed on paid administrative leave and then, on July 31, 2026, unpaid leave pending a Select Board hearing on his employment status.