Cambridge Civilian Police Review Board Details Two New Complaints Filed in Quarterly Report

The Cambridge Police Review and Advisory Board reported two new complaints over police conduct had been filed between July and September in a quarterly report presented to the Cambridge City Council on Monday.

The reports, both filed in July, are listed as “Use of discourteous or demeaning language” and “Improper police procedures,” and both remain open.

The report also details two complaints on which the board made a determination, clearing three officers of the allegations of misconduct with an “unlawful arrest.” Both complaints stemmed from the same incident, which was not detailed in the report.

Cambridge Police Department spokesperson Jennie Lopez did not respond to a request for comment on the circumstances of the incident that sparked the complaints.

PRAB’s newest report comes as the board, which serves as a civilian review board for complaints lodged against Cambridge police officers, has been met with scrutiny by residents and city leaders over a lack of efficacy and a low number of reports heard and substantiated.

PRAB only holds the authority to make recommendations based on internal investigations conducted by the CPD’s Professional Standards Unit, but does not have the power to directly investigate or discipline officers. As part of the board’s review process, they have access to PSU interviews, officer testimony, and applicable body-worn camera footage.

The board has received 101 complaints since 2013, substantiating just seven of them. PRAB has also met inconsistently, at times failing to meet quorum for its monthly meetings. PRAB met five times in 2025, falling short of its monthly requirement even while factoring in a summer recess — but the board has met every month this year, outside of its July and August recess.

The report covers the third quarter of 2026, but the board has not released a quarter two report — leaving a gap between its April report presented to the City Council, which detailed the board’s operations from October 2025 through March.

PRAB is required to publish reports quarterly outlining its work and activity on complaints, along with meeting minutes and plans for the future. The April report was the first released since January 2023, and the report promised that they “will follow the standard quarterly calendar schedule,” moving forward.

Monday’s report is the first released under the board’s new chair, Caleb Demers, who started the position at the end of September after the former chair, Gina LaRoche, met her five-year term limit serving on the board.

The recent report provides little other insight into PRAB’s operations since it last produced a report — but the board outlined its priorities for fiscal year 2027, including “community engagement, public visibility, reporting practices, and a possible visit to the Cambridge Police Academy.”

The City Council is next set to discuss PRAB’s operations at a Nov. 10 Public Safety Committee hearing.

—Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at shawnb.18. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.

—Staff writer Claire A. Michal can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at ClaireMichal.154.