BPD reports 32 suspected drink‑spiking incidents year‑to‑date; officials add investigators and outreach

Boston Police Department officials told the City Council Committee on Ways and Means on May 15 that the department had recorded 32 suspected drink‑spiking incidents year‑to‑date and that the majority were reported at bars and nightclubs.

“Far we have 32 drink spiking cases reported and that comes from use of the event statistic in the reporting management system,” a department official said. Officials added that almost all reports in the year‑to‑date data came from licensed premises; one case occurred at a private residence.

Councilors also asked about scams targeting older residents. The department said it had added investigators and that the Boston Regional Technical Intelligence Center and partnerships with private firms such as AT&T were being used to drive outreach and education to seniors. “We have a couple investigators that are diving into these scams, and then we've added 3 investigators to our special investigations unit that are going to work with the district detectives as well as our federal partners,” an official said.

Superintendent Colon reiterated that device‑extraction tools used in investigations (referred to in testimony with variants such as “Sellbrite” and “cell bright”) are used only with consent or a court order. “We do not use that technology without a court order or consent,” Colon said.

Why this matters: Drink spiking and phone‑based and mail scams have public‑safety implications for students, patrons of nightlife establishments and older residents. Councilors pressed the department for prevention steps, reporting mechanisms and detective assignments when contaminated‑drink reports are received.

What’s next: The department said it will continue public messaging, partner with telecommunications firms to reach seniors and provide detective support for reported incidents; councilors asked for continued reporting on case counts and outcomes.

Ending: No formal action was taken; councilors asked the department to continue outreach and to provide any updated statistics on drink‑spiking cases and scam investigations.