Andrew Ryan

Yeah, I think I heard her say that she'd subpoenaed eight officers and none of them were here yet. That's right, that's right.

Yeah, I think I heard her say that she'd subpoenaed eight officers and none of them were here yet. That's right, that's right.

I wonder if they're going to dismiss him. I wonder if they're going to kill the case.

I wonder if they're going to dismiss him. I wonder if they're going to kill the case.

All right, the defendants are coming into the courtroom. Still does not appear that there's any police detectives or anybody from the New Bedford Police Department that we've seen. No, me either.

All right, the defendants are coming into the courtroom. Still does not appear that there's any police detectives or anybody from the New Bedford Police Department that we've seen. No, me either.

So we're on the fifth floor of a courthouse in Fall River. We're looking out at the Taunton River, which is pretty gray today.

So we're on the fifth floor of a courthouse in Fall River. We're looking out at the Taunton River, which is pretty gray today.

I want to get the ADA.

I want to get the ADA.

Can we ask you a couple of things about what you're saying? Why not?

Can we ask you a couple of things about what you're saying? Why not?

Can we, we just, are you enabling this, are you enabling this system?

Can we, we just, are you enabling this, are you enabling this system?

No, we haven't. We actually specifically requested an interview with you.

No, we haven't. We actually specifically requested an interview with you.

Can I at least get a reaction to our reporting?

Can I at least get a reaction to our reporting?

Anytime you want to talk about this, we'd love to. We'd love to hear the DA's perspective because we're, I think it's an important one because you guys are the most powerful actors in this whole system.

Anytime you want to talk about this, we'd love to. We'd love to hear the DA's perspective because we're, I think it's an important one because you guys are the most powerful actors in this whole system.

Which one is Ortiz? Shaved head glasses. So the gentleman in the gray suit?

Which one is Ortiz? Shaved head glasses. So the gentleman in the gray suit?

Is there anywhere we can go like back in the corner to try to cut the window a little bit?

Is there anywhere we can go like back in the corner to try to cut the window a little bit?

I assume that the district attorney's office is going to investigate that now, right?

I assume that the district attorney's office is going to investigate that now, right?

I went to local courts across Massachusetts and went through over 2,000 search warrants, many of which were from the year 2023.

I went to local courts across Massachusetts and went through over 2,000 search warrants, many of which were from the year 2023.

My analysis found that nearly 9 out of 10 drug raids hinged on confidential informants whose identities were only known to police. Of those, a large majority were based on a single unnamed source.

My analysis found that nearly 9 out of 10 drug raids hinged on confidential informants whose identities were only known to police. Of those, a large majority were based on a single unnamed source.

What we found is that there were only records of three rejected applications. That's three among the nearly 2,000 warrants we examined. That's an approval rate of about 99.8%.

What we found is that there were only records of three rejected applications. That's three among the nearly 2,000 warrants we examined. That's an approval rate of about 99.8%.

A cop's word is treated as gold. The courts here are not verifying if the informant is truthful or even exist beyond an officer's sworn statement. Essentially, as long as an officer raises his hand or her hand and promises that they're telling the truth, that's good enough for the court.

A cop's word is treated as gold. The courts here are not verifying if the informant is truthful or even exist beyond an officer's sworn statement. Essentially, as long as an officer raises his hand or her hand and promises that they're telling the truth, that's good enough for the court.

So we'll go knock on the door and try. Yeah. All right. Let's give it a whirl.

So we'll go knock on the door and try. Yeah. All right. Let's give it a whirl.

All of our reporting has been built on documents. Human sources are really important, but records are the lifeblood of all investigative reporting because records capture moments in time. And so with Chief Oliveira, one of the things that we wanted to do very early was to look at all of the records about him.

All of our reporting has been built on documents. Human sources are really important, but records are the lifeblood of all investigative reporting because records capture moments in time. And so with Chief Oliveira, one of the things that we wanted to do very early was to look at all of the records about him.

There's a million different things that you can learn from internal affairs records. It can show us what kind of officer he was. It can point us towards other people who knew him, who might have gotten in trouble with him, or who may have investigated him. But these documents have proven difficult to shake loose.

There's a million different things that you can learn from internal affairs records. It can show us what kind of officer he was. It can point us towards other people who knew him, who might have gotten in trouble with him, or who may have investigated him. But these documents have proven difficult to shake loose.

And after a long series of back and forth, the city said that there were a number of those files that no longer existed.

And after a long series of back and forth, the city said that there were a number of those files that no longer existed.

It stuck out to me because I couldn't understand why they would get rid of files for an active duty officer. So I went digging. And in Massachusetts, to legally get rid of public records, you actually have to apply for a permit. And that's exactly what the police department did. Chief Oliveira signs a form that looks like any other kind of bureaucratic document that he might sign.

It stuck out to me because I couldn't understand why they would get rid of files for an active duty officer. So I went digging. And in Massachusetts, to legally get rid of public records, you actually have to apply for a permit. And that's exactly what the police department did. Chief Oliveira signs a form that looks like any other kind of bureaucratic document that he might sign.

But this one was called an Application for Destruction Permission. And we can still see his signature because we got a copy of the document.

But this one was called an Application for Destruction Permission. And we can still see his signature because we got a copy of the document.

This included his own cases. But here's the interesting thing. They did it just three months after Paul Oliveira became police chief. And we should say that this is perfectly legal at this point.

This included his own cases. But here's the interesting thing. They did it just three months after Paul Oliveira became police chief. And we should say that this is perfectly legal at this point.

At the state archives, they have records going back 60 plus years. And I asked for all records like that that had been filed by the police department. And this was the only time in at least the last 60 years that the New Bedford Police Department has ever asked to get rid of internal investigative files.

At the state archives, they have records going back 60 plus years. And I asked for all records like that that had been filed by the police department. And this was the only time in at least the last 60 years that the New Bedford Police Department has ever asked to get rid of internal investigative files.