Michelle Wu was asked about Patrick Rose’s internal affairs file. Her answer raises more questions.

Howard was quoted in this Boston Globe article: Michelle Wu was asked about Patrick Rose’s internal affairs file. Her answer raises more questions.

In 1995, an internal Boston police investigation found that officer Patrick Rose likely molested a child. The department allowed him to keep his job and continue to interact with children. He recently pleaded guilty to molesting half a dozen children over his career as a police officer and police union president.

The Globe reports that Mayor Wu has not yet viewed the full internal affairs investigation of Rose. Howard and other experts agree that there is no reason why Mayor Wu should not be able to view complete, unredacted documents. Wu has not offered an explanation, leaving a question as to whether the barrier stems from state law, the police union, or the police department.

Keeping internal affairs investigations secret is a way to hide police misconduct from public view. Keeping the results of an investigation from Mayor Wu prevents her from being able to do her job. She needs to understand what happened in the past to prevent it from happening again. Patrick Rose pleaded guilty to 21 counts of child rape and sexual assault over a 27-year period. Secrecy allowed him to continue to abuse children. The City has a strong interest in making certain the system does not continue to protect police officers who have molested children.