Hub cops suspend constable licenses

The Boston Police Department has suspended licenses for five constables when they failed to report for fingerprinting — and a subsequent nationwide background check — after stricter checks were established in the wake of two officers being shot by a licensed constable with an extensive criminal history.

City councilors approved eight new constables and renewed 34 BPD constable licenses yesterday, as well as licenses for Inspectional Services Department constables. All applicants had to submit their fingerprints for an FBI national criminal history check, as did constables who were not up for renewal.

But five constables did not show up for fingerprinting and their licenses were suspended, according to Detective Lt. Michael McCarthy, while four other constables failed the background check. McCarthy did not have data on whether the checks turned up in-state or out-of-state criminal history.

The BPD previously only checked applicants’ state criminal history. Under that system, East Boston resident Kirk Figueroa received a constable license last year despite having charges of impersonating a police officer and arson on his record from incidents in Georgia. Figueroa critically wounded two BPD officers in a shootout last October before being killed.

City Councilor Tim McCarthy, who had called for the BPD to re-examine constable licensing, said he was pleased with the new policy and that it had already produced results.

“Although no background check can be 100 percent successful, this year’s numbers show much-needed progress,” McCarthy said, citing the license suspensions and denials.