This map shows incidents of alleged police violence (red dots) and alleged misconduct (blue dots) that occurred in Massachusetts since 2000. Descriptions are drawn from contemporaneous sources. This is not an exhaustive list, and locations are not meant to be exact. All incidents can also be viewed in our interactive database.
An initiative by the ACLU of Massachusetts
Massachusetts is not immune to police violence and misconduct - and we must demand change. Right now, legislators in Massachusetts have the unprecedented opportunity to end qualified immunity, impose real restrictions on use of force, and ban police use of face surveillance technology. Police violence happens here: help us demand an end to it in Massachusetts.
All incidents shown on the map are also catalogued in our interactive database.
To take action against police violence and misconduct across Massachusetts, visit the homepage for our Week of Action.
To learn more about policing in Massachusetts and nationally, we invite you to explore the following projects and organizations:
This map is a resource for the press, activists, and the public. Far from exhaustive, it draws from media reports to mark select incidents of police brutality and misconduct across the state. Many incidents of police misconduct are never reported; what appears on this map likely just scratches the surface of the problem. If you would like to offer comments and suggestions to further populate the map with incidents of police violence and misconduct, we invite you to submit an incident.
Interested programmers can view the source code for this map, written in Javascript, on GitHub.
Please contact data4justice@aclum.org with questions or updates to information on this site, or klagreca@aclum.org with media inquiries.