This is plain pure gossip by a gang of journalist wannabes. . . The only reason Davis fils is worth coverage as being arrested for OUI is because of his parentage. . . .  Maybe his getting driven home as allegedly happened a couple of weeks ago was an example of favorism in the Boston area brought on by who his father is... but an arrest in another state, assuming that it complies with that state's laws, is a plain outright sadness for a fellow who probably needs some kind of drying out and professional help. . . This guy Schworm and whoever assigns and edits his copy needs to be asahamed for this illustration of a family's tragedy. . . Oh yeah, I do know. . . having been on both ends of this sort of exper ience decades ago. . .

Who-cares, I had no idea that the younger Davis was employed by the BPD.  

I'm with Boatwrote - it's a non-story.  

Too bad for the Commissioner that his son has problems with alcohol. We can only hope that the kid overcomes them. As for the Commissioner, I'm sure he's heargtbroken but he should understand that anyone whose been a parent epathizes with him and his wife. I really don't think this subsequent matter is news. It's more a private family matter but figure if the Commissioner didn't immediately release the news he'd be attacked for covering-up something. It's a strange society we live in. 

They seem to be catching this kid's problems early. I hope he can get it under control and have a good, prductive life.

This is good family. I wish them well. The son did a faux pas like most of us did when we were his age... but we didn't get caught! I wish them well.

My prayers are iwth the family at this most difficult time

Many are missing the point of this article.

Notice that until sonny boy was arrested in NH, he was just going about his merry drunk ways.  The blue suits weren't doing him any favors here, and they weren't doing the citizens of Boston any favors either, it was just a matter of time before sonny boy injured someone while drunk driving.

It took police in a different state to cause some action to be taken with this problem child.

Jack Levin is right!  Change comes from within and the Boston officer did the kid no favor.  Consequences can be productive especially concerning addiction.  I wish the Davis family well and, hopefully, knowing that there are many families out there with the same problems can provide some comfort.

Here's the story: he was given special treatment, which then endangered other people. If the original cop had done his job, and not been afraid of retaliation by elder Davis, then the kid would probably have been in treatment a few weeks ago, and unable to immediately reoffend the way he did. Imagine if he had killed someone this time? Favoritism, patronage, cronyism, the whole "Menino culture"- these ostensibly minor evils can have major real-world consequences.

My uncle was not the Police Chief but he had a high-ranking job in my hometown and he knew all the cops. When they started picking my cousin up drunk, they did the same - took him home. I think they may not have even told my uncle for a while...This happened for several years before he was finally arrested, more than once. After time in jail, halfway houses, and the like, he was sober for about two years. Then he wrapped his truck around a telephone pole after falling off the wagon. He was such a hard-core alcoholic that I'm convinced his brain was permanently altered by the time he died. Had he been forced to confront things earlier, before so much damage had been done, maybe he would still be with us. I miss him, as do his two children who have grown up with no memory of him.

I hope Commissioner Davis's family has a better outcome.

Somehow I think the Commissioner and his wife knew of their son's problems long before this month. J. Levin is right in that change has to come from the individual, the parents can only suggest. But I take issue with trashing the BPD for the decision to drive him home earlier in the month. Colleagues help colleagues and their families. Philip was not clearly intoxicated and not actually driving drunk. Seems to me giving someone you know's son a ride home to prevent him from probable drunk driving, while clearly not policy, is also not wrong. Who hasn't helped someone they know while doing their job?

I am all for the idea of the police offering a drunk a ride home, but if it was good policy for the Commissioner's son, it should also be good policy for all drunks seen stumbling into the driver's seat. Of course, this courtesy was preferential. The officer is not going to jail the Commissioner's son. Another possibility is to have the officer call a cab (assuming the drunk has money for the fare).  

Another thing that bothers me as with all other arrests: Why are the arrests made public? I think that doing so tends to tarmish the ability of the defendant to defend himself since the arrest itself has the tendency to bias the jury pool, if there is one, and to publicly disgrace the defendant and his family before he gets a fair trial. 

Note, by the way, there is no information in the article that the defendant was asked to take a breathalyzer test. We do not lnow ofifcially what his alcohol level was, though I tend to believe the office's opinion he was loaded. (Occifer, occifer,wha' da ya mean? Hic)