Lawrence Police Union Calls for Mayor's Resignation Over Secret City Hall Recordings

Allegations of unauthorized audio surveillance in City Hall hallways spark outrage and calls for accountability.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 9:40pm

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A dimly lit government hallway in muted tones, with a single security camera mounted on the wall casting long shadows across the floor, conveying a sense of unease and secrecy.The discovery of an apparent audio surveillance system in the hallways of Lawrence City Hall has sparked outrage and calls for accountability from local leaders.Lawrence Today

The New England Police Benevolent Association, the union representing Lawrence, Massachusetts police officers, is calling for the mayor's resignation after the discovery of an apparent audio recording system in the hallways of City Hall. The union claims the recordings were made without authorization or consent, raising legal concerns. City Council President Jeovanny Rodriguez was also unaware of the surveillance system until recently.

Why it matters

The allegations of secret audio recordings in a government building raise serious privacy and civil liberties concerns. If true, it could represent a violation of state wiretapping laws and undermine public trust in local government. The fallout has already led to the firing of the mayor's chief of staff and calls for the mayor's resignation.

The details

A video surfaced showing a heated argument between the Lawrence airport manager and the mayor's then-chief of staff, William Castro, about plowing resources for the city's airport. The conversation was apparently recorded by a camera in the City Hall hallway. The police union says these audio recordings were made without authorization or consent, which they claim is a legal issue distinct from standard video surveillance. The union plans to ask the Essex District Attorney's office to investigate.

  • On Thursday, William Castro was fired by the mayor.
  • The video and audio recording of the conversation appears to come from a camera that records inside of Lawrence City Hall's hallways.

The players

David Ginisi

Representative of the New England Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents Lawrence Police officers.

Brian DePena

The mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Jeovanny Rodriguez

The Lawrence City Council President, who has served 37 days as interim mayor.

William Castro

The former Lawrence Police officer and interim police chief who was the mayor's chief of staff until being fired on Thursday.

Francisco Urena

The Lawrence airport manager.

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What they’re saying

“We are calling for the mayor to step down effective immediately.”

— David Ginisi, Representative of the New England Police Benevolent Association

“I was never aware [of a voice recording]. When somebody brought it up to me, I was like, 'nope, that's not true. It can't be true. It's like, no, it can't happen.'”

— Jeovanny Rodriguez, Lawrence City Council President

“He needs to hold that responsibility himself, and say, 'we did this, this is wrong, and we want to work on the public trust.'”

— Jeovanny Rodriguez, Lawrence City Council President

What’s next

The Essex District Attorney's office plans to investigate the allegations of unauthorized audio recordings in Lawrence City Hall.

The takeaway

The revelation of potential secret audio surveillance in a government building has severely eroded public trust in Lawrence's local leadership. Restoring that trust will require a full accounting of what occurred, who was responsible, and concrete steps to ensure such privacy violations do not happen again.