Massachusetts Attorney General candidates questioned on public list of police officers with liability concerns

As the race for Massachusetts Attorney General heats up, the issue of a statewide list of police officers who have been found guilty of misconduct has gained attention this week.

On the heels of neighboring state New Hampshire’s release of a public list of “problem” officers, candidates for Massachusetts AG have been facing questions about whether they will support the creation of such a list in their own state.

Current AG Maura Healy, who is running for governor, was previously asked for a list of officers with liability issues and at the time said her office did not have any such records, but did support the creation of such a list.

Opponents of the list say it does not take police due process into account, and if a list is created it should only include the names of officers who have been found guilty of misconduct, not just accused. Quentin Palfrey and Shannon Liss-Riordan, who are both running to replace Healy, have said they both support the creation of a list of questionable officers. 

A third Democrat candidate, Andrea Campbell, says she supports the list being created but would like to do more research before deciding whether she believes the list should be made public. Republican AG candidate Jay McMahon has not commented on the topic.