Project

How Maine’s Largest Police Force Conceals Officer Wrongdoing

One of Maine's largest newspapers aims to uncover misconduct at the state’s largest police force.

The Bangor Daily News received discipline records from the Maine State Police in December 2020. The records reveal little and use terms such as “engaged in conduct unbecoming” to hide details of misconduct.

In addition to being vague, there is suspicion that the records were redacted unlawfully. Bangor Daily News has previously obtained more than 1,000 pages of discipline records from other police agencies. Not one redacted entire sentences and paragraphs as the state police did.

Bangor Daily News works to uncover what the agency is obscuring.