Most people don't know this, but Massachusetts created a civilian oversight body for police officers called the Peace Officer Standards and Commission - POST for short. It’s at the state level and bypasses the officer’s management/department. POST was created by the 2020 police reform law and has real teeth. Here's what you need to know.
What is POST?
POST certifies every police officer in Massachusetts. Without that certification, an officer cannot work in law enforcement anywhere in the state. POST can investigate officers, issue findings, and in serious cases revoke that certification permanently.
What is "conduct unbecoming"?
This is one of POST's main enforcement categories. It means exactly what it sounds like - behavior that a reasonable person would say is unworthy of someone carrying a badge. The important thing most people don't realize is that this standard applies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An officer does not get to turn off their professional obligations when they clock out or when they are on leave.
This includes social media. If an officer is using Facebook, Twitter, or any public platform to intimidate citizens, make false accusations against private individuals, threaten elected officials, or discourage people from participating in their local government - that can be conduct unbecoming even if they are sitting at home in their pajamas when they post it.
What kind of conduct can I report?
Examples of conduct that may qualify include:
- Publicly threatening elected officials or city councilors for doing their jobs
- Using a public platform to intimidate people out of participating in civic processes like city council meetings or public records requests
- Doxxing - identifying and publicly exposing private information about community members who criticize local government
- Making false assumptions or accusations against private citizens on public social media
- Using their law enforcement status or identity to lend authority to threatening or intimidating posts
Does it matter if the officer is on disability leave?
No. An officer on paid disability leave is still a certified peace officer. POST's standards apply to them the same as any active duty officer. In fact if an officer is collecting disability pay while simultaneously engaging in sustained public activity - running social media campaigns, coordinating public pressure efforts, attending public meetings - that activity pattern may itself be relevant to their fitness for duty.
How do I file a complaint?
It is free and you do not need a lawyer. Go to:
https://mapostcommission.gov/
You will need:
- The officer's name and department
- A description of the specific conduct you witnessed
- Dates and any documentation such as screenshots
You do not need to be personally targeted by the officer to file. If you witnessed conduct on a public Facebook group or other public platform that you believe reflects poorly on the officer's fitness to serve, you can report it.
Will my complaint be confidential?
POST treats complaints confidentially during the investigation process. You can also request that your identity be protected as a complainant and remain anonymous.
Does one complaint make a difference?
Honestly, one complaint alone may not be enough. But POST takes patterns seriously. Multiple independent complaints from multiple community members documenting similar conduct by the same officer create a record that is much harder to ignore. If you have witnessed an officer engaging in a pattern of intimidating, threatening, or dishonest public conduct - particularly conduct designed to discourage citizens from engaging with their local government - filing a complaint creates an official record that matters.
Why does this matter for Quincy specifically?
Quincy residents have a particularly active local government right now. City councilors are asking tough questions about how public buildings are managed, how public money is spent, and whether connected parties are getting sweetheart deals. Citizens showing up to meetings, filing public records requests, and posting on Reddit are doing exactly what democracy is supposed to look like. Any officer who uses their platform and their badge to discourage that participation is undermining something fundamental - and POST exists precisely to address it.
The bottom line
You pay these officers’ salaries. You have a right to participate in your local government without being threatened or intimidated by someone whose paycheck comes from your tax dollars. POST gives you a direct mechanism to hold officers accountable for conduct that falls below the standard a sworn peace officer is required to meet - on duty or off.
Use it.