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Boston Globe - United States
07 July 2008

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Boston Police Department, MA

Police investigate site that a

They don't pretend to be Woodward and Bernstein. The bloggers call themselves amateur journalists and describe their website, Badgewars.com, as "the electronic bathroom wall."

But they have piqued the interest of Boston police, who have launched an internal affairs investigation to find out who is behind the website.

They also want to know whether the bloggers have any evidence to support the allegations they make about Boston officers violating department rules, such as abusing construction details or claiming false injuries to get time off work.

Last month, Superintendent Kenneth Fong, who heads internal affairs, sent an e-mail asking for the information from the webmaster, who goes simply by Nate or "the Anvil." Badgewars launched nearly one year ago and, until recently, was considered by many to be a relatively harmless, if relentlessly crude, place for the public and many police officers to write anonymously about the department.

But with the website becoming more caustic and continuing to post accusations, police say they now want to know if any of the blog's allegations are true. If they aren't, police said, then there is concern that the website is spreading rumors that could harm officers' reputations.

"Despite the most absurd and inflammatory comments on the site, it is incumbent upon the department to take seriously any allegations of officer mis conduct," said Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Boston Police Department. "We're not seeking to violate First Amendment rights. However, we will take the necessary steps to determine the validity of allegations or the lack thereof."

Attempts to find out Nate's real identity were unsuccessful. An e-mail sent to the webmaster's online address received this response: "They are afraid of what we know and what we can publish, that's why they want us before we let it all out."

Badgewars works like many blogs. It links to news stories about police from around the country and YouTube clips of hapless officers, including one who shot himself in the foot while teaching a class about guns.

Most of its content, however, is about Boston police. There are photos of officers allegedly running personal errands while on duty or standing idly when they are supposed to be directing traffic.

It also features a blog, where officers write just about anything: their hatred for top brass, their thoughts on the best-looking department employees, and their opinions of union policies.

Visitors also post comments about officers who they believe are abusing their authority, officers they think may be involved in drug scandals or are alcoholics, and high-ranking officials they say look the other way when favored employees violate department rules. Sometimes, the accused officers are named.

Some officers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the website has given them a forum to express their frustration with the department without fear of recrimination.

But Thomas Nee, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association, said he has heard from officers who complain that the comments on the website are disparaging.

"The only thing that I see that is accurate in Badgewars is that it is an electronic bathroom wall," Nee said. "It's ridiculous and outrageous, and it's very frustrating to watch very mean-spirited people write whatever they want behind a fictitious name."

Detective Jack Parlon, president of the Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society, called the department's investigation into the website a "waste of resources."

"Don't give them any credibility by investigating them," he said. "Evidently, someone has a lot of time on their hands at the department."

Driscoll said department officials have repeatedly tried to get in touch with Nate, the webmaster, through e-mail, but their requests for an interview have been rebuffed. Police do not know who the person is.

"If you know where Nate is, we'd like to speak to him," Driscoll said.

In one June 12 e-mail to an Internal Affairs sergeant, Nate described the team of bloggers as responsible reporters who vet postings before publishing them. As a result, the website does not publish all allegations.

Fong responded with an e-mail asking for any documents, e-mail correspondence, or photographs that would substantiate the bloggers' claims. He also asked for the identifications of any Boston police involved in publishing or managing the site.

The bloggers have remained defiant.

Recently on their website, they said the department has been harassing them and described the investigators' attempts to find out who is running the website as "pathetic."

"They just want to burn a cop," they wrote. "You are not going to get anything from us! Nothing at all!"

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Boston Globe - United States07 July 2008

Police investigate site that a

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Boston Globe - United States
07 July 2008