For the Record

This page provides information regarding major developments and news reports about the New Bedford Police Department. Our goal is to ensure that our residents and the general public are fully informed. We encourage you to check back often; we update For the Record regularly.

Boston Globe Podcast on March 25

Boston Globe Host: “But just before the FBI was able to pull the trigger on its plan, the dealers suddenly stopped cooperating. … So this former FBI agent believes Paul Oliveira interfered with a federal investigation …”

NBPD Response: Chief Oliveira has never been questioned by the FBI nor the Department of Justice about these accusations. He also has no knowledge of a formal request by either law enforcement agency relating to the matter.

‘Here and Now’ Interview on WBUR on March 19

The New Bedford Police Department has updated its response to include additional documentation.

Here and Now Host: “What’s alarming is that you find officers who tell you this was reported up the chain of command … there were investigations. Not only did nothing happen, but one officer in particular got a tremendous promotion.”

NBPD Response: This is misleading and false. The department was made aware of potential misconduct by Santos in April of 2018 regarding searches and seizure of drugs from various people. These allegations were vague and, without witnesses or victims, were difficult to follow up. However, the department did begin an investigation. On the evening of June 21 when Santos attempted to enter a fishing vessel, officers responded and developed witnesses and victims to Santos’s conduct. Santos was immediately placed on Administrative Leave and both an Internal Affairs investigation and a criminal investigation were opened on June 22. Based on the events on June 21st, the Department moved to compel Santos to be drug tested. Pursuant to state law and collective bargaining, this required a Reasonable Suspicion Hearing, which was held on June 23, and he was drug tested. In addition to the internal affairs investigation that was opened on June 22 by the department, NBPD simultaneously opened a criminal investigation and specifically requested an independent third-party Massachusetts State Trooper (assigned to the DA’s Office) be involved in the criminal investigation. The District Attorney’s Office was heavily involved throughout the criminal investigation. Both cases were opened on June 22 (document provided to the Boston Globe). During 2019, it is our understanding that the case was presented to the Grand Jury. On December 20, 2019, the DA notified the department that no action had been taken by the Grand Jury and the prosecutor had decided not to pursue the case). This closed the criminal case. Massachusetts Civil Service laws require certain procedural steps when taking disciplinary action against an employee. On January 29, 2020, then Chief Cordeiro informed Mayor Mitchell of his recommendation to terminate Santos. On January 30, 2020, Mayor Mitchell issued him a letter advising Santos of his intention to terminate and provided a hearing date. That date was moved at the request of the union attorney, and on February 19, 2020, Santos resigned before the hearing could take place, so no further action could be taken by the department regarding the Internal Affairs (administrative) investigation. Santos quit before action could be taken. The department lacks the ability to impose discipline on people who don’t work there.

Boston Globe Article Published March 13

The New Bedford Police Department has updated its response to include additional documentation.

Boston Globe: “And there is Jorge Santos. Oliveira brushed off repeated complaints that the officer stalked the waterfront, conducting repeated illegal searches and seizures, preying on Hispanic fishermen, and violating the rights of countless people. … Though Oliveira approved a report that found 24 departmental infractions in connection with the boat incident, Santos was never disciplined. … While on leave over that incident, he assaulted a motorist, leading to criminal charges. He resigned after 20 months of paid leave, before any administrative discipline was imposed.”

‘Here and Now’ Interview on WBUR on March 19

Boston Globe Guest: “We did find examples where internal affairs would make some sort of determination in an investigation, and then the now police chief would cross out those determinations and come up with his own findings.”

NBPD Response: The Boston Globe’s characterization of this is misleading. In one of the incidents detailed in the newspaper, an IA investigator had, per NBPD policy, recommended only two charges. A lieutenant in the Professional Standards Unit added four charges that are generally considered overlapping or broad charges (e.g. conduct unbecoming an officer). When reviewing the case file for approval, the chief noted these overlapping charges. Records provided to the Boston Globe show four charges were cancelled and two charges were sustained.

Chief Oliveira has a long history of investigating and overseeing internal affairs cases with results ranging from clearing the officer to termination:

From June 7, 2009 – May 9, 2010, as a lieutenant assigned to the Professional Standards Unit, he oversaw 59 cases and sustained 29 of them, which resulted in one termination, and three resignations and two retirements while under active investigation.

From March 25, 2012 – May 18, 2016, as captain of the Professional Standards Unit, Oliveria oversaw 203 cases, of which 89 were sustained resulting in two terminations; and seven resignations and one retirement while under active investigation.

From May 19, 2016 to present as member of the command staff (deputy chief and chief), he inherited 52 Internal Affairs cases that were still pending and recommended discipline for 55 of the officers involved (some cases involved numerous officers).

During the nine years he spent as deputy chief and chief, Oliveria made final recommendations on 509 internal affairs cases; of which 233 were sustained (46% of the cases) resulting in 11 terminations; and 12 resignations and seven retirements while under active investigation.

It is also important to note that neither the NBPD, nor the City of New Bedford, have the legal authority to prevent someone from resigning or retiring from their job at any time, including those under investigation of wrong-doing. Once an employee resigns, the Department no longer has the authority to implement any employee discipline.

Boston Globe Article Published March 12

Boston Globe: Officer Santos resigned shortly after a date was set for his termination hearing. “The mayor set a (termination) hearing date. … Within weeks, Santos resigned. Santos’ departure was without any fanfare or attention. It was a final gift …”

NBPD Response: This is misleading. Neither the NBPD, nor the City of New Bedford, have the legal authority to prevent someone from quitting their job at any time. Once an employee resigns, the Department no longer has the authority to implement any employee discipline.

Boston Globe Article Published March 13

Boston Globe: “Richard said; during his time with internal affairs, Oliveira twice investigated Richard — first as part of a domestic assault case and, later, for smoking tobacco on duty, the latter of which resulted in Richard’s termination.”

NBPD Response: This is false. The rules about police officers and smoking are dictated by state law, specifically Massachusetts General Law, Part I, Title VII, Chapter 41, Section 101A, which states “…no person who smokes any tobacco product … shall continue in such office (as a police officer) if such person thereafter smokes any tobacco products.” The law was amended in 2018 to institute a required dismissal of a police officer appointed after Jan. 1, 1988, caught smoking tobacco.

Robert Richard was not terminated for smoking. He was terminated following multiple violations of department policy. In two incidents in September 2013, he was investigated for not reporting car accidents in his government-issued vehicle, providing false information, not being at his assigned location when he was supposed to be, and not responding to radio calls.

It’s important to note Paul Oliveira was not chief at the time and had no authority to terminate an employee. Then Police Chief David Provencher documented all the charges in a letter to the mayor dated January 31, 2014.

The case went to arbitration and the arbitrator agreed with the termination decision on March 25, 2015 (document provided to the Boston Globe).

Boston Globe Article Published March 12

This is important information that was not included or was decontextualized in the Boston Globe article and accompanying podcast. This information provides important context to the narrative. Documentation was provided to the Boston Globe before the story was published that support the facts below.

It’s important to note that much of the Boston Globe’s reporting is based on interviews with questionable or unnamed sources, terminated employees, and convicted criminals.

On April 9, 2018, the department received a vague report that then-Officer Santos may have been engaged in misconduct (improper or illegal searches and seizure of drugs). Nevertheless, then-Deputy Chief Olivera directed a narcotics detective to work to get more information and notified then Chief Joseph Cordeiro. The Chief then told Deputy Chief Olivera that he wanted to conduct an undercover sting operation with Santos as the target and he explained that he would contact an outside agency to assist.
On the evening of June 21, 2018, Officer Santos, while off-duty, illegally and improperly attempted to board a fishing vessel. Police were notified via 911 calls. This incident provided the department with viable complainants, witnesses and victims, about potential misconduct. A formal administrative investigation and a criminal investigation were opened the next day.
The department took the following disciplinary action against Santos:
- He was immediately placed on Administrative Leave and an Internal Affairs File was opened on June 22.
- There was a Reasonable Suspicion Hearing (a requirement of State law and the NBPD union contract) on June 23 to compel Santos to be drug tested.
- In addition to the internal affairs investigation that was opened on June 22, the NBPD simultaneously opened a criminal investigation and specifically requested an independent, third-party Massachusetts State Trooper assigned to the District Attorney’s Office be involved in the probe. The District Attorney’s Office was heavily involved throughout the criminal investigation (this information was provided to the Boston Globe).
- The criminal investigation was completed and presented to the District Attorney. During 2019, it is our understanding that the case was presented to the Grand Jury. On December 20, 2019, the DA notified the department that no action had been taken by the Grand Jury and the prosecutor had decided not to pursue the case.
- On January 29, 2020, then Chief Cordeiro informed Mayor Mitchell of his recommendation to terminate Santos.
- On January 30, 2020, Mayor Mitchell issued a letter to Santos of his intention to terminate and provided a hearing date as required by law. That date was moved at the request of the union attorney.
- On February 19, 2020, Santos resigned before the hearing could take place, so no further action could be taken by the department regarding the Internal Affairs (administrative) investigation.

Boston Globe Article Published March 13

The NBPD has taken the Boston Globe article and provided corrections, clarifications, or context to paragraphs that can be refuted with documentation. Much of the documentation was provided to the Boston Globe.

It’s important to note that much of the Boston Globe’s reporting is based on interviews with questionable or unnamed sources, terminated employees, and convicted criminals.

Boston Globe: “Yet Oliveira has exercised a light touch when it comes to holding wayward officers to account. He’s also shown little interest in making reforms to departmental policy even in the face of abuses.”

NBPD Response: The department brought in nationally renowned expert Jensen Hughes in 2021 to conduct a top-to-bottom assessment of the department. Recently, another expert was brought in to take a deeper dive into the department’s Organized Crime & Intelligence Bureau and internal affairs operations.

Boston Globe: Allegations of FBI investigations of the department.

NBPD Response: Chief Oliveira is unaware of an investigation, nor has he ever been subpoenaed or requested to participate in an interview. The Chief has no knowledge of a formal request by either the FBI or the Department of Justice in this regard.

Boston Globe: “Oliveira did not respond to repeated requests for an interview. Holly Huntoon, a New Bedford police spokeswoman, did not directly address detailed questions sent by the Globe.”

NBPD Response: The Boston Globe was provided with hundreds of pages of documents in response to multiple public records requests. Reporters sent the chief an email with allegations dating back decades along, with a litany of questions, on March 4 while the chief was on vacation out of the country. The first of the responses were provided to the Globe on March 10, the first day that the chief returned to work. The second email responding to the rest of the queries was set to be sent on Thursday, March 13, the date this story was published.

Boston Globe: “The list of errant officers includes Detective Jean Lopez, who in 2022 was excoriated by a Bristol County judge for falsely attributing information to a CI, a confidential informant. Lopez, in a brief interview with the Globe, called it a paperwork mistake.”

NBPD Response: The police department learned of the allegation against Lopez on February 22, 2023 from media reports. The District Attorney had not contacted the department regarding the testimony of the officer, nor did the office place that officer on a Brady list after the testimony. (A Brady list is a compilation of law enforcement officers deemed to have credibility issues, often due to allegations of misconduct or dishonesty, maintained by prosecutors.) Five days after the Department learned of the allegation, on February 27, Lopez resigned from the NBPD and accepted a position with another department. On March 1, 2023, the Boston Globe ran a story about the judge’s decision, and on March 9, Chief Oliveira directed a two-part investigation. The first was into Lopez’s testimony in court and his actions (even though he had left the department). The chief directed that an investigation be conducted even though he lacked any ability to take action against Lopez if misconduct was found. To the best of the NBPD’s knowledge, former Officer Lopez has not been placed on a Brady list by the DA’s office. The second investigation that the chief directed was into the general workings of the narcotics unit to ensure it was operating within policy and law. That review found that the unit was operating within policy and law.

Boston Globe: “Then there is Sasha Vicente, who as a narcotics detective in 2016 instructed an informant to skip court in order to perform a controlled drug buy, and to lie to a judge about why he missed court. She also encouraged him to purchase drugs for personal use, according to an internal investigation. Oliveira promoted her to sergeant in 2021.”

NBPD Response: The first allegation took place well before Paul Oliveira was chief. The records provided to the Boston Globe indicated the complaint against Vincente was sustained.

Boston Globe: In another case, in 2021, a Massachusetts state trooper overheard New Bedford Detective Samuel Algarin-Mojica providing sensitive information to an informant regarding a major drug investigation. An internal probe determined Algarin-Mojica broke numerous rules and ‘committed a very serious breach of confidentiality’ that could have compromised a State Police wiretap. For reasons unclear, Oliveira disagreed with internal investigators and tossed the charges.”

NBPD Response: The Boston Globe’s characterization of this is misleading. An individual was arrested as the result of purchasing drugs from a target of a drug investigation whose phone was being wiretapped. Importantly, the arrested individual made several calls to this target, all of which were captured on the wiretap. At the conclusion of the investigation, the department sustained a complaint against the detective and imposed discipline for the release of information to the CI. The IA investigator had, per NBPD policy, recommended only two charges. A lieutenant in the Professional Standards Unit added four charges that are generally considered overlapping or broad charges (e.g. conduct unbecoming an officer). When reviewing the case file for approval, the chief noted these overlapping charges. Records provided to the Boston Globe show four charges were cancelled and two charges were sustained.

Boston Globe: “The list also includes Justin Kagan, the former head of New Bedford’s Organized Crime Intelligence Bureau, who as head of New Bedford’s Organized Crime Intelligence Bureau in 2019 oversaw the department’s highly sensitive informant registry system. Kagan, now a captain overseeing criminal investigations, admitted in 2023 that he falsified records to make it appear as though an informant had been registered with the department when she hadn’t been.”

NBPD Response: This is misleading and not accurate. Kagan was not the subject of an internal investigation. He was interviewed as a witness in an internal investigation in which it was discovered that while he was on vacation, a detective made payments to an individual whom he represented to his supervisor as a registered confidential informant (funds can only be paid to properly registered confidential informants). Upon Kagan’s return to duty, he reviewed the records and discovered that the payments had been made to a non-registered CI and he directed that the appropriate registration process be immediately followed. There was no falsification of any documents by Kagan, and he testified truthfully as a witness in the internal investigation.

Boston Globe: “The New Bedford department has refused to provide the Globe with even basic information about how many informants police have registered, or how much they’ve been paid.”

NBPD Response: That information was not disclosed for security reasons.

Boston Globe: Jared Lucas case

NBPD Response: The Boston Globe is well-versed on the facts of this case. Although Lucas retired on August 4, 2021, the department still conducted an internal affairs investigation regarding the allegations. That report was provided to the Boston Globe.

NBPD Response: This is false. While there are documented cases where Mass. police officers were fired for smoking as per Massachusetts General Law, Part I, Title VII, Chapter 41, Section 101A, that is not the case for Robert Richard. He was terminated because of 19 violations involving two separate cases. The case went to arbitration and the arbitrator agreed with the decision March 25, 2015 (document provided to the Boston Globe). In addition, it’s important to note, Paul Oliveira was not chief at the time and had no authority to terminate an employee.

Boston Globe: “Not long after, three members of the DEA’s New Bedford office who regularly worked with New Bedford police sounded the loudest alarm yet on what they described as astonishing abuses of the CI system.”

NBPD Response: Currently, three members of the NBPD are members of federal task forces, including the DEA, ATF and U.S. Marshal Service.

Boston Globe: “The Spotlight Team identified five people who said they spoke directly with the FBI around this time about Oliveira and alleged corruption in the New Bedford narcotics unit. Another person said they were directly aware of the FBI probe but never questioned.”

NBPD Response: The Chief has no knowledge of a formal request by either the FBI or the Department of Justice in this regard.

Boston Globe Article Published March 13

The New Bedford Police Department offers the following clarification:

State law allows for the destruction of Internal Affairs records after seven years. At the direction of the Chief, the department added three years and destroyed – with permission – records older than 10 years.

If an officer was still active and had Internal Affairs cases older than 10 years that were sustained, these files were not destroyed.

No records were destroyed or purged prior to receiving authorization by the Secretary of State. The chief took no special privilege in this action.

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