Boston hiring practices under microscope in wake of recent city employee arrests

BOSTON — Two Boston city councilors are calling for an emergency breakdown of the city’s hiring practices and an audit of city hires since 2023 after several incidents involving workers with criminal records and recent arrests.

The most recent case involves a Boston city worker who was pulled over by state police after leaving work on July 30. In video obtained by Boston 25 News, the trooper asks the driver if he has any arrests for weapons violations. The driver says yes but claims none of the arrests are recent. When the trooper asks to see a bag next to the driver, the situation quickly escalates. Video shows the trooper lunging into the SUV through the driver’s side window and wrestling with the driver over an unseen object. Both the driver and the trooper can be seen fighting over the gear shift as it appears the driver attempts to put the vehicle into drive. At one point, a taser is heard being used.

According to a resolution for an emergency hearing filed by councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy, the trooper recovered a fully automatic firearm in the scuffle.

On Monday, Mayor Michelle Wu told reporters the employee was on unpaid leave pending the investigation. Asked how he was hired with a criminal background in the first place, Mayor Wu said the city has programs that offer second chances.

“We have many programs that the city has created to ensure that individuals can get a second chance,” Wu said. “People who have done their time, put in the work to support themselves and to take care of their own lives and are re-entering our community have a pathway…. That also still means we are holding every employee to a very high standard.”

But Councilors Flynn and Murphy say a breakdown of needed. They point to a separate case in which a registered sex offender was found to be working in the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The employee resigned earlier this month after roughly a year of employment, according to the councilors’ emergency resolution.

Several other employees have faced arrest and charges in recent months. In May, two Boston City Hall staffers were fired days after police responded to a domestic violence call.

Among the changes Councilors Flynn and Murphy want to see:

Pre-employment screening, including mandatory Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB) queries and enhanced criminal background checks for all positions
Tiered risk-based screening, with stricter standards for jobs involving children, seniors, or vulnerable populations
Conditional employment offers, pending completion of full criminal, sex-offender, and reference verification
Continuous monitoring, including annual Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and SORB rechecks for all employees, and immediate alerts for new arrests or registry updates
Rapid suspension protocols, requiring immediate administrative leave when credible allegations of violent or sexual crimes arise
Audit of recent hires, with a report to the Council on all hires since July 1, 2023, including the number screened through SORB, exceptions granted, and policy compliance