Spare a Thought for the Snitch
Briefly

The Boston Globe's Spotlight team has released a new investigation focusing on police misconduct regarding the use of confidential informants in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The series, "Spotlight: Snitch City," uncovers issues of abuse and exploitation within the informant system, including instances of police officers engaging in unethical and illegal behavior, such as sexual manipulation and falsifying evidence. The narrative describes how informants—often vulnerable individuals caught in the drug trade—find themselves coerced into cooperation, reflecting systemic failures in oversight that allow such misconduct to thrive. The series is part of the longstanding tradition of investigative journalism by the Spotlight team, known for highlighting abuses of power.
In New Bedford, police officers have been given great leeway with informants, with little oversight. Some have run amok, engaging in misconduct without accountability.
The confidential-informant system in New Bedford has been exploited, with police officers lying, stealing, and colluding, prioritizing their own success over justice.
Read at The New Yorker
[
|
]