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Boston police overtime topped $100M for second straight year

Axios · · 384 words · By Mike Deehan
Police Budget Accountability Municipal Governance and Spending

The article details the significant and sustained increase in Boston Police Department (BPD) overtime spending, which reached $103.2 million in 2024. It notes that this spending is attributed to structural issues, such as the department's decline in full-time positions, forcing reliance on overtime for non-emergency shifts. The article also includes statements from Mayor Wu regarding the difficulty of funding a necessary increase in the BPD budget.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://axios.com/2026/04/29/boston-police-overtime-spending-100-million-bpd-bud…

analyticsAnalysis

30%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 90%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
warning
Selective Omission 70% confidence
Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

14 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 7
schedule Pending 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
check_circle Corroborated 1
info
“Boston Police Department overtime spending has nearly doubled in the last decade, topping $100 million for the first time in 2024 and staying there last year.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim states BPD overtime spending topped $100 million in 2024 and stayed there last year. The web search result 'Boston police overtime topped $100M for second straight year - MSN' directly supports the 2024 figure ($103.2 million) and the previous year's figure ($101.7 million). However, this information is found within a single web search result, and no other independent news sources corroborate the specific figures for 2024 and the year prior.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive, long-term pattern of significant interpersonal relationship instability, acute fear of abandonment, and in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_personality_disorde…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Wayne Earl Jenkins Jr. (born 1980) is a former Baltimore Police Department (BPD) sergeant who was the ringleader of the Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF), a plainclothes unit that engaged in widespread crim…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Jenkins
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder (ZAN-BPD) is a standardized, diagnostic rating scale designed to measure the severity and changes in the symptoms of borderline personalit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanarini_Rating_Scale_for_Bord…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“BPD overtime spending has grown 65% since 2015, an analysis of city records shows.”
CORROBORATED
The claim that BPD overtime spending has increased by 65% since 2015 is directly stated in the web search result 'Boston police overtime topped $100M for second straight year - MSN'. Additionally, another web search result ('State Overtime Spending on Record $336M Pace » CBIA') mentions annual spending increasing by 'about 65%' over a nine-year period, providing corroborating evidence of this trend.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — BPD may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BPD
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) is the municipal police department of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Dating back to 1784, the BPD, consisting of 2,935 employees in 2020, is organized into nine…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Police_Department
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive, long-term pattern of significant interpersonal relationship instability, acute fear of abandonment, and in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_personality_disorde…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“Overtime spending was between $61 million and $67 million from 2015 to 2017.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim specifies that BPD overtime spending was between $61 million and $67 million from 2015 to 2017. While one web search result ('BPD Court Overtime Report - ACLUM, Progressive Mass, BU') discusses data analysis of Boston police court overtime records from 2014 to 2019, it does not provide the specific range of $61 million to $67 million for the years 2015-2017. The evidence is too general to confirm the specific financial range cited in the claim.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) is the municipal police department of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Dating back to 1784, the BPD, consisting of 2,935 employees in 2020, is organized into nine…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Police_Department
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive, long-term pattern of significant interpersonal relationship instability, acute fear of abandonment, and in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_personality_disorde…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder (ZAN-BPD) is a standardized, diagnostic rating scale designed to measure the severity and changes in the symptoms of borderline personalit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanarini_Rating_Scale_for_Bord…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“The number spiked to $77.9 million in 2018.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that BPD overtime spending was $77.9 million in 2018 is explicitly stated in the web search result 'Boston police overtime topped $100M for second straight year - MSN'. No other independent sources corroborate this specific figure for 2018.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive, long-term pattern of significant interpersonal relationship instability, acute fear of abandonment, and in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_personality_disorde…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — BPD may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BPD
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) is the municipal police department of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Dating back to 1784, the BPD, consisting of 2,935 employees in 2020, is organized into nine…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Police_Department
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“The first year with more than $100 million spent on BPD overtime was 2024, at $103.2 million.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that 2024 was the first year BPD spent over $100 million on overtime, totaling $103.2 million, is directly reported in the web search result 'Boston police overtime topped $100M for second straight year - MSN'. This specific claim is not corroborated by other independent sources.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive, long-term pattern of significant interpersonal relationship instability, acute fear of abandonment, and in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_personality_disorde…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Wayne Earl Jenkins Jr. (born 1980) is a former Baltimore Police Department (BPD) sergeant who was the ringleader of the Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF), a plainclothes unit that engaged in widespread crim…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Jenkins
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder (ZAN-BPD) is a standardized, diagnostic rating scale designed to measure the severity and changes in the symptoms of borderline personalit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanarini_Rating_Scale_for_Bord…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“Overtime spending fell slightly last year to $101.7 million.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim states BPD overtime spending was $101.7 million in the year prior to 2024. This figure is directly reported in the web search result 'Boston police overtime topped $100M for second straight year - MSN'. Since this information is only present in one web search result, it cannot be corroborated.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The number spiked to $77.9 million in 2018. The first year with more than $100 million spent on BPD overtime was 2024, at $103.2 million. Overtime spending fell slightly last year to $101.7 million.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/boston-police-overtime-…
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web search NEUTRAL — VIRTUAL ATI PREDICTOR GREEN LIGHT 2024-2025 /VATI GREEN LIGHT STUDYGUIDE ACTUAL EXAM 180 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
https://quizlet.com/1140688301/virtual-ati-predictor-green-l…
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web search NEUTRAL — During the third and fourth quarters of 2024, we recorded $1.4 million and $3.5 million, respectively, in expenses related to these furloughs. These expenses were recorded within salaries, wages and b…
https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001498710/0…
info
“Nearly 100 officers a year earn $100,000 or more in overtime alone.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim concerns approximately 100 officers earning $100,000 or more in overtime annually. While the web search results provide general definitions of 'approximately,' they do not contain any data or reports regarding the number of officers earning specific overtime amounts. Therefore, the claim cannot be confirmed or denied.
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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of APPROXIMATELY is in an approximate manner —used to indicate that a stated number, amount, or value is an approximation. How to use approximately in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/approximately
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web search NEUTRAL — Get a quick, free translation! APPROXIMATELY definition: 1. close to a particular number or time although not exactly that number or time: 2. close to a…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/approxim…
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web search NEUTRAL — Define approximately. approximately synonyms, approximately pronunciation, approximately translation, English dictionary definition of approximately. adj. 1. Almost exact or correct: the approximate t…
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/approximately
info
“In 2025, Lt. Stanley Demesmin collected $236,961 in overtime and Capt. Timothy Connolly logged $228,924.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim provides specific overtime earnings for Lt. Stanley Demesmin and Capt. Timothy Connolly in 2025. The web search results confirm the high overtime earnings for Lt. Stanley Demesmin, citing $236,961 in 2025, but the specific figure for Capt. Timothy Connolly ($228,924) is not found in the provided evidence. Furthermore, the evidence is limited to a single web search result detailing these specific figures.
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web search NEUTRAL — Demesmin brought home $236,961 in overtime pay in 2025, more than any other employee. Demesmin was also the number one overtime pay recipient in 2024 and 2023 .
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/boston-salary-database-s…
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web search NEUTRAL — Lieutenant Stanley Demesmin has been a Boston Police officer for 40 years. They were paid a total of $294,599.06 in 2020. They were the 39th highest earner in 2020 among Boston Police Department emplo…
https://window.statereference.com/officers/9278-stanley-deme…
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web search NEUTRAL — Police Lt. Stanley Demesmin, the highest earner for the city last year, received $223,773.79 in addition to his regular salary of $161,306.48.
https://hot969boston.com/2025/03/12/boston-payroll-database-…
help
“The department has shed 208 full-time-equivalent positions, a 7.2% decline, over the last five years.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the gathered evidence section for this claim, and the search results did not yield any information regarding the department shedding 208 FTE positions or a 7.2% decline over the last five years.
help
“The city charter says overtime can be used only as an emergency measure, but it's become standard operating procedure to use overtime to cover non-emergency shifts.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the gathered evidence section for this claim, and the search results did not yield any information regarding the city charter restricting overtime use to emergencies or its current use for non-emergency shifts.
schedule
“Mayor Michelle Wu and her predecessors have come under fire for setting aside far too little funding for overtime in the city budget, only to blow past that amount once a budget is approved.”
PENDING
schedule
“A 2023 ACLU report found that higher staffing levels correlate with higher overtime costs.”
PENDING
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“In 2010, BPD had 2,900 officers and spent $40 million on overtime.”
PENDING
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“By 2020, it had more than 3,050 officers and spent $74 million on overtime.”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.