Police involvement in Boston Public Schools

At a glance

What: Two linked transparency questions raised during the October 20, 2026 hearing on Docket No. 0407: how often police are called into Boston schools (state data lists Boston with zero school-based arrest or court referrals), and the status of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Boston Public Schools (BPS) and the Boston Police Department.
Where it stands: Not a separate docket. Councilor Flynn says he has asked for the MOU for three years; BPS says it is signed on its side but not by the police department and is not currently with BPS.
What's next: Flynn may file a request for information (17F) for the MOU; Leon Smith urged the Council to consider an ordinance requiring public reporting of police involvement in schools.

Smith said the state education department's data lists Boston with zero school-based arrest and court referrals for 2024-25, which he called not credible, and that BPS may argue the state reporting requirement applies only to school resource officers (Boston has none). He said the Council could close any such loophole by ordinance.
A BPS speaker said BPS operates within the MOU's guidelines and consults the Boston Police sexual assault and crimes against children units on serious incidents. Flynn wants the document in writing, including when police are contacted after a sexual assault such as one on a school bus.

About 8 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-20 - Education Committee	8

2026-10-20 - 2026-10-20 - Education Committee - Smith raised zero-referral state data and the school resource officer reporting question; Flynn pressed BPS for the unsigned BPS-police memorandum of understanding.
2026-10-06 - Ways and Means Committee - Flynn asked about the unsigned memorandum of understanding between the school department and police; school staff said it was agreed on their side in summer 2025 and awaits the police department, and the chair agreed to ask for a copy.