For more information on policing in Massachusetts, see entry on Boston Police.
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MBTA Transit Police officers Joseph O'Connor (Deputy Chief) and Lewis Best (Deputy) each participated in “counterterrorism seminars” in Israel, as part of all-expenses-paid delegations of US law enforcement to Israel sponsored by the New England chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The New England Chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) sponsors annual all-expenses-paid delegations to Israel for high-ranking New England police, ICE, FBI, and other security officials, where these officials meet with Israeli military, police, and intelligence agencies, with whom they train and exchange tactics including surveillance, racial profiling, crowd control, and the containment of protests.
One or more members of the MBTA Transit Police have been designated as "Task Force Officers" (TFOs). TFOs are local police officers granted the authority to perform the duties of federal law enforcement agencies, including making arrests of individuals sought by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for detention and/or deportation.
The MBTA Police are listed as a full member of the Greater Boston Police Council, a "law enforcement council" (LEC) set up in the 1970s to link regional police forces and share resources for policing anti-war protests. LECs in Massachusetts have played a central role in militarizing police by organizing SWAT teams and purchasing military equipment such as Lenco Bearcats and other armored vehicles.