New Bedford Police Department

Jacob Wetterling was 11 years old when he vanished while cycling home from a convenience store in rural Minnesota in October 1989. Twenty-seven years later, DNA evidence and a confessional plea deal would finally reveal what happened to him—and podcasters would document every twist of this watershed case.

A Boston Globe podcast investigation has exposed how a Danish police officer in Massachusetts compromised the identity of a confidential informant during a routine traffic stop, raising international concerns about informant protection protocols and police accountability in law enforcement agencies.

The Boston Globe's Spotlight team has exposed widespread abuse of confidential informant systems within the New Bedford Police Department in Massachusetts, revealing how officers coerced informants and stole drugs. The investigation, released in March 2025 as a podcast series called 'Snitch City,' highlights vulnerabilities in law enforcement oversight that resonate far beyond American borders.