Within the past few years Bostonâs homicide rate drastically increased while the arrest and conviction rate severely dropped. The homicide rate is not as bad as in the late 1980s and early 90s but it is well on its way. One of the problems has been the competence of the Boston Police homicide division. Dubbed ‘the worst homicide squad in the country’, some of the malfeasance and misfeasance of the unit has been well documented. In addition, the unit responsible for forensics has historically been a dumping ground and the BPD is finding it difficult to bring it up to current standards. It has been obvious to many for years that the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes in Boston has been abysmal.
Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley has shown zero leadership during this crisis. He has turned a blind eye to incompetence, neglect, unprofessional and possibly criminal behavior by members of the Boston Police Department.
Why? Most likely because that is Conleyâs political base â more or less. The D.A. does not have a base like other pols. All he has is about 200 jobs to hand out. More than 100 go to lawyers. No one cares about the D.A. except those 200 people, their families, and the pols who want jobs from the D.A. Oh yeah, and cops. Cops care. So Conley has spent the past four years making friends with many cops. Which means not upsetting the apple cart. Which means no political courage or leadership.
His old Hyde Park city councilor base is really not much. After he was appointed to fill Ralph Martinâs job he had a tough first election coming up. Smart and likable city councilor and former assistant district attorney Brian Honan and his organization (better than Conleyâs) were fired up for a nice donnybrook. Michael Flaherty had entertained ideas to run, but decided instead to team up with his friend Honan against his former colleague, the current D.A., Dan Conley. Although Conley was the D.A. this had more the smell of a race for an open postition. Conley and Honan knew just about all the same people. Most liked Honan better. In addition Honanâs brother was and still is the state Rep. Kevin Honan. And Conley unsuccessfully tried take out Angelo Scaccia a few years earlier. So a good part of the Suffolk County delegation on Beacon Hill were ready and willing to support Honan.
Tragically Honan passed away during the campaign.
The district attorney is the highest law enforcement official in Boston. His office has the responsibility to prosecute all homicides. He controls the investigation. He is not required to use the Boston police for his homicide investigations. The state police have a forensic unit and another unit that investigates serious crimes including homicides.
With this issue becoming more and more an embarrassment to us all, Conley has not used his office, power, or bully pulpit to do anything to stop this rolling snowball. Instead his office makes like the victim. It throws up its hands as if there is nothing else it can do.
Dan Conley is hurting this city.
This is my general thesis. In the following posts (yes, posts) specific incidents of incompetence or more will be discussed. If interested take a look at the facts described in The Snelgrove Report.
The last post will concentrate on what can be done about the dangerous incompetence of the Suffolk County District Attorneys Offiice.
late next week. It will ruin his fourth.
your future posts actually mention what Mr. Conley did wrong … this is a wonderful introduction, but some substance would make me more likely to catch the sequel.
…Conley may be a hack. His office blew the Chauntae Jones case, for example; hell, they had a confession! Jack McCoy would never lose that one.
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But it seems to me more straightforward to blame BPD. Please explain otherwise; like Will, I look forward to reading it.
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It seems that a) they don’t make enough Broken Windows gun possession arrests or have enough patrols to deter shootings, and b) they are unable to develop the network of teen informers needed to break murder cases. As a result, they make few homicide arrests.
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The DA may be able to make an end run with crime labs on occasion, but it’s not like the DA with his 200 people can run the BPD with its 3000 people.
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Culpability?
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Try Kathleen O’Toole, ex-Commissioner. I met her once for about an hour and really liked her. i was shocked, however, by her departure – fleeing for a cush job in the middle of a crime wave that happened on her watch. On its face it seems outrageous: like the Mt. Auburn surgeon who went to the ATM while his patient was open and on the table. Hell, at least that guy came back to close up the patient!
Ernie, Ernie, Ernie
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I sang your praises last time when Frank was taking potshots at you. I rushed to your defense, so how do you repay my loyalty? You attempt to skewer Dan Conley, a guy who is just doing his job.
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His only shortcoming that I can see is that he eschews the flashy ties worn by the man who hired him as an Assistant District Attorney, Newman Flanagan. Flanagan was skewered by the left during his administration without good cause. Flanagan’s office successfully prosecuted hundreds, if not thousands, of homicide cases during his years at the helm. Like Flanagan, Conley also has successfully prosecuted the bulk of the homicide cases brought to him by the BPD.
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The refreshing thing about Conley is that he is bringing professionalism back into the DA’s office after it had been laid low by Ralph Martin’s incompetence and ambition. Martin eviscerated the Suffolk County DA’s office and replaced seasoned professional prosecutors with inexperienced zealots and idolators (Ralph Martin idolators, that is). In Conley we have a man who will fight criminals and will support his staff.
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So please Ernie, lay off Dan Conley unless you have something substantive to tell us.
this substantive enough?