Cambridge Police
Cambridge’s Nonprofit, Nonviolent Police Alternative Raises $150,000 in Donations After Major July Funding Cut
Cambridge’s Holistic Emergency Alternative Response Team — a nonprofit, nonviolent police alternative — almost closed its doors two months ago after its funding dwindled. But more than $150,000 in private donations and grants have kept the group afloat as it searches for long-term stability.
Trial for Cambridge City Councilor Charged With Buying Sex Mired in Evidence Dispute
Cambridge City Councilor Paul F. Toner, who faces charges for patronizing a high-end brothel ring, is the only defendant of 34 men who will go to trial. But before Toner’s trial can begin, the case has stalled in front of the court for months as his lawyer demands documents from the federal government investigation.
Harvard Is Looking for a New Police Chief, Again. Here’s What to Know.
The Harvard University Police Department has launched a search for a new chief of police, in the fractured department’s latest effort to move beyond yearslong internal turmoil and frequent turnover at the top.
Cambridge Police Clarify Officers Did Not Use Tear Gas in August Standoff
Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine A. Elow dispelled rumors that officers deployed tear gas to end a standoff in early August at a hearing on Wednesday, providing the City Council with the most comprehensive account of the confrontation yet.
Man Charged for Threatening Protesters with an Axe
A man has been charged with assault after allegedly threatening protesters with an axe at a demonstration in Harvard Square last month, according to court documents.
ICE Contacted Cambridge Police Six Times in 2025, Commissioner Says
Federal immigration enforcement has contacted the Cambridge Police Department at least six times in 2025, an increase from previous years and the sharpest indication yet that the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has arrived on Harvard’s doorstep.
State Police Investigate Monday Night Stabbing Near Harvard Square
Massachusetts State Police are investigating a stabbing that left one person with non-life-threatening injuries at Longfellow Park late Monday night.
Police Investigating After Man Uses Axe To Threaten Pro-Palestine Protesters in Harvard Square
The Cambridge Police Department is investigating a confrontation at a pro-Palestine demonstration in Harvard Square last weekend after a video posted to social media showed a man who appeared to be wielding an axe and threatening protesters.
Cambridge City Council Strengthens Sanctuary City Ordinance
The Council voted unanimously to tighten the city’s Welcoming Community Ordinance, a 40-year-old policy limiting cooperation between the Cambridge Police Department and federal law enforcement on immigration-related matters.
Cambridge Police Arrest 3 Participants in Harvard Square Pro-Palestine Protest
Cambridge police arrested three people and used a chemical irritant to disperse a pro-Palestine demonstration in Harvard Square on Sunday morning, marking the first major altercation at a protest near the University’s campus in months.
Cambridge Man Arrested for Central Square Machete Attack After 18-Hour Standoff With Police
Cambridge police arrested an individual who allegedly attacked a bystander with a machete after an 18-hour standoff at an apartment building near MIT that began Friday night.
8 More Defendants in Cambridge Brothel Case Agree to Pretrial Probation
Eight more defendants charged for their involvement in a brothel network that opearated in Cambridge accepted pretrial probation agreements on Friday at the Cambridge District Court.
4 More Defendants in Cambridge Brothel Case Agree to Pretrial Probation
Four more defendants who were charged for their alleged involvement in a Cambridge brothel network accepted pretrial probation conditions on Wednesday at the Cambridge District Court.
20 Defendants in Cambridge Brothel Case Agree to Pretrial Probation
Twenty defendants charged in purchasing commercial sex through a Cambridge brothel network accepted the prosecution’s conditions of pretrial probation on Tuesday, avoiding conviction.
Driver Responsible for Fatal Bicycle Crash Pleads Not Guilty to Homicide, Negligence
The driver who fatally struck cyclist John H. Corcoran ’84 last year pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide and negligence on Monday, appearing in court for the first time since the Middlesex District Attorney’s office sought charges four months ago.
Cambridge Police Install Surveillance Cameras in Central Square for Pilot Program
The Cambridge Police Department has installed six surveillance cameras in Central Square over the last month as part of a controversial pilot program. The camera installation was delayed after technical issues prevented an earlier launch in April.
Cambridge City Councilor Paul Toner, Facing Charges in Brothel Case, Will Not Seek Reelection
Cambridge City Councilor Paul F. Toner announced on Monday that he will not seek reelection after facing charges related to patronizing a high-end brothel, setting up a potentially fierce battle for an open seat on the nine-member City Council.
City Councilors Learned of Allegations Against Toner Long Before Brothel Charges Became Public
Five members of the Cambridge City Council were notified in January 2024 that Paul F. Toner had allegedly patronized a brothel network — more than a year before Toner was publicly named in the case.
Final 6 Defendants Plead Not Guilty in Cambridge Brothel Case
Six defendants charged in soliciting commercial sex through a Cambridge brothel network pleaded not guilty on Friday, marking the final round of arraignments for the 34 men charged in connection to the brothel.
DHS List Names Cambridge, Boston Among 200 Sanctuary Cities It Says Are Obstructing Immigration Enforcement
Cambridge and Boston are among the hundreds of sanctuary cities nationwide that the Department of Homeland Security accused of defying federal law on a list designed to expose localities that the Trump administration says are obstructing its immigration crackdown.
Cambridge Police Commissioner Elow Confirms ICE Arrest in Cambridge
Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine A. Elow confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement have arrested at least one individual in the city, but made it clear at Monday’s City Council meeting that the department will not assist ICE agents.
Cambridge Police Investigate Reported Sexual Assault in Harvard Square
Cambridge police are investigating a reported Thursday night sexual assault in the Harvard Square area, according to an email alert sent Friday morning.
14 More Defendants, Including City Councilor, Plead Not Guilty in Cambridge Brothel Case
Cambridge City Councilor Paul F. Toner and 13 other men pleaded not guilty to sexual conduct for a fee at Cambridge District Court on Friday morning, officially advancing their cases to trial.
14 Men Plead Not Guilty to Charges in Cambridge Brothel Case
More than a dozen men charged for patronizing a Cambridge brothel network pleaded not guilty to paying for sex on Friday, appearing in court for the first time in the extended legal saga.
Former BB&N Music Teacher Faces Federal Charges for Producing Child Pornography
A former music teacher at a prominent Cambridge private school is facing federal charges for allegedly paying to produce child pornography, according to Monday court filings.