Boston Police Now Required to Wear Name Tags

Boston police officers will now be required to wear name tags on patrol as part of a one-year contract extension from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The move aims to boost transparency and trust with communities.

According to a Boston.com report, the name-tag requirement is part of a new contract extension between the city and the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association (BPPA), announced on Monday, Nov. 3. The BPPA represents the majority of Boston Police Department (BPD) officers. 

This name-tag requirement aligns with existing badge-display norms for sergeants and lieutenants.

The contract extension has an estimated total cost of about $6.7 million for the year, covering wage increases and benefits like free gym access for officers. Additionally, the contract extension overhauls officer evaluations to align with the city's accreditation efforts and changes overtime distribution away from patrol through a revised detail system.

According to NewsCenter 5 Boston, officers will receive a 2% wage increase, bringing the hazardous duty differential to 1%. Those who participate in the Field Training Officers program will also receive an increase from $10 to $40 per week.

"Our officers do a difficult job. It is important for them to know their work is valued, and for them to continue to embrace their role in building trust and fulfilling our mission of Community Policing," Commissioner Michael Cox said in a statement shared with NewsCenter 5.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu positioned the reform as strengthening public safety through transparency and humanizing officers, while contrasting local transparency with concerns about federal enforcement tactics.

“Real public safety requires transparency, and knowing someone's name makes a difference,” she said in a statement shared with Boston.com. “It means that when you're in crisis, you won't be facing down a stranger behind a uniform. You're speaking to a person, a neighbor, a fellow member of our community.”

Larry Calderone, the BPPA's president, acknowledged the mayor for her willingness to work with the union to finalize new contracts. The Wu administration and the BPPA announced a five-year collective bargaining agreement in 2023, following the union's previous contract with the city, which had expired in 2020.