Hi, it's Adrian Walker.

Today we're sharing the first episode of the brand new podcast, Spotlight, Snitch City.

Produced by my colleagues, the Boston Gloves award-winning spotlight team, some of the same folks who brought you the Murder in Boston podcast.

Snitch City brings you inside the secret world of police informants through one small city at the forefront of America's drug war, New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Featuring never-before-told cases, the podcast investigates how officers have exploited the secrecy of the informant system to enrich themselves, break laws, protect drug dealers, and attack perceived

enemies, all with impunity. In this specific episode, you'll find yourself on the docks of

New Bedford, hearing whispers about a rogue police officer harassing fishermen and stealing drugs,

all of which comes to a head, one late night aboard a scalloping boat.

And it turns out that this officer's abuse is just the tip of the iceberg in this historic port city.

Before we get into the full episode, be sure to follow Spotlight Snitch City on your favorite listening app.

Now here's the episode.

Before we begin, this story includes strong language. Please take care when listening.

It's a warm summer night in 2018, and there's a strange situation unfolding,

aboard a scalping boat docked in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Not on a cordialand was your emergency?

Yes, but you know there's no problem to be on this boat.

The caller says there's an intruder on board. And you said that someone's on your boat and that's not supposed to be on the boat?

Where at, sir?

The caller is a fisherman on the little tuti, a boat on the little to-dy.

A boat docked for the night along the city's waterfront.

And he says that the docks? Yes, sir. The call comes in at about 9.30.

Some crew members are sleeping. Others are making final preparations for the next day's fishing trip down the Atlantic coast.

...