Five years ago, David Bernstein at the Phoenix wrote a long article about the Boston Police Department's really low success rate in getting murderers put away, The Worst Homicide Squad In The Country."

The Globe reports on the lawsuit by Pasquale Capogreco of Winthrop, who alleges the DA dropped drug charges against an East Boston acquaintance because the guy's brother is East Boston state Rep. Carlo Basile. DA Dan Conley and Basile both deny the charges.

The Boston Bar Association yesterday gave Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley its Distinguished Public Servant award for his role in reversing convictions of men convicted of crimes they didn't commit.

Bar members cited the cases of Anthony Powell (convicted of rape in 1992), Marlon Passley (convicted of murder in 1996) and Donnell Johnson (convicted of murder in 1995).

On Blue Mass. Group, David rounds up the news about DA Conley, Boston Police and MBTA murder investigations (such as the fact Conley made his decision to shift these rare investigations to State Police without ever talking to the head of the State Police). It'd all be pretty funny if it didn't involve serious crime (like: how is shifting investigations of one or two murder cases a year to State Police really going to help solve Boston PD manpower issues?).

But it all brings up another question: Why do we have an MBTA police department? Today's Globe story on the imbroglio has a quote from an MBTA mouthpiece that the whole thing makes no difference to his force; just means they'll have another department to hand investigations over to.

Sure, the MBTA's jurisdiction extends beyond Boston's borders. But how many crimes on MBTA property also extend into multiple jurisdictions? If we can get rid of the MDC, Capitol and Boston Municipal police forces without the world coming to an end (and if New York can merge its city and transit police forces), why not merge the T force with Boston's and give jurisdiction of non-Boston stations to the cities and towns they're in? I'm betting these stats will show the bulk of MBTA crime happens within Boston, anyway (after work, I'll take a look).

The Herald reports Suffolk County DA Dan Conley has shifted investigations of homicides on MBTA property from Boston Police to State Police.

Earlier:
Just what we need: A pissing match over homicide investigations.

A woman gunned down over the weekend was not a witness in a murder case, the Globe quotes DA Dan Conley as saying.

The Herald quoted police sources on Sunday that Danielle Grady had witnessed a murder about a year ago - and that the suspect in that case was due to go on trial soon. Tom Menino repeated the contention on NECN on Sunday. Conley says it's just not true.

According to the Globe, Grady's boyfriend was Jeffrey Jones of Mattapan. Jones was cut down in a hail of bullets along with longtime reputed gangbanger Jarrid Campbell of Roxbury last month.

It's Suffolk DA Dan Conley vs. Police Commissioner Ed Davis over who gets to head up homicide investigations in Boston.

Editor's note: In June, Universal Hub readers selected selected five questions for Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley. Here is his answer to one of them:

Editor's note: In June, Universal Hub readers selected selected five questions for Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley. Here is his answer to one of them:

Editor's note: In June, Universal Hub readers selected selected five questions for Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley. Here is his answer to one of them: