BOSTON — Under pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council has agreed to release more than 900 pages of documents under the state public-records law.
The ACLU was denied the records while preparing a report on the increasing militarization of the country’s police departments. “War Comes Home: The Excessive Militarization of American Policing” looked at the use of SWAT teams in law enforcement, especially drug raids, in Massachusetts and across the nation.
NEMLEC declined to release records including policies guiding the SWAT team’s use of deadly force, training materials, incident reports, deployment statistics and equipment contracts.
NEMLEC is a consortium of 58 municipal police and sheriff agencies, from Amesbury to Woburn, covering Middlesex and Essex counties. Member towns pay $4,600 annually in dues to NEMLEC, which provides specialized mutual-aid services. NEMLEC also receives government grants to buy special equipment.
The ACLU argued NEMLEC receives government grants, essentially using taxpayer dollars, to purchase high-tech equipment for units, such as the SWAT team, so it is subject to the public records law.
The ACLU of Massachusetts sued in Suffolk Superior Court, asking a judge to rule the documents are public records. The agreement between the parties on Monday resolves the lawsuit.
NEMLEC agreed to release records includingSWAT team after-action reports, policies, financial statements and training materials. Jessie Rossman, ACLU staff attorney, said in a press release the group will release the documents shortly.