Lt. Governor Polito Announces New Policies Targeting Human Trafficking in Recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Lt. Governor Polito Announces New Policies Targeting Human Trafficking in Recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month

New State Police unit, updated DCF intake policy to target trafficking

BOSTON – In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito today announced new policies to target human trafficking in the Commonwealth led by the Massachusetts State Police and Department of Children and Families (DCF). Joined by Governor Baker and members of the administration, Polito introduced the formation of a Human Trafficking Unit within the State Police, and improved interagency coordination and communication between the State Police and the Department of Children and Families, will allow Troopers to better assist local law enforcement officials in investigations. Additionally, as part of the administration's reforms at DCF, sexual exploitation and/or human trafficking is now a reportable condition regardless of whether the perpetrator is the caregiver.

"Our administration is pleased to announce these critical reforms during Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Month to target the drivers of trafficking and do more to keep our children and communities safe," said Lt. Governor Polito, chair of the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. "The council will continue working with law enforcement and community leaders to identify more ways to eradicate this epidemic, and we look forward to more collaboration with Attorney General Healey and the legislature on future efforts to end human trafficking in the Commonwealth and beyond."

"The buying and selling of human lives is an abhorrent practice that is still taking place in Massachusetts, and we owe it to those who find themselves unwilling participants in it to take steps to stop it," said Governor Baker. "I’m pleased to have the State Police and DCF work collaboratively to implement and create new tools to increase reporting requirements and target trafficking for juveniles as we work to rid our Commonwealth of this abominable scourge."

  

“Creating a dedicated Human Trafficking Unit within the State Police will enhance interagency cooperation and communication with the Department of Children and Families and assist law enforcement officials at all levels with their investigations of this terrible crime,” said Public Safety Secretary Dan Bennett.

“Protecting children in our care is a significant priority. This is another example of the Department of Children and Families strengthening its policies and furthering its commitment to child protection and safety.  We are now able track reports of suspected human trafficking among youth," said HHS Secretary Marylou Sudders.

“I am proud of DCF staff leadership on a federal grant that engages law enforcement and providers in proactively identifying and supporting children who have been trafficked,” said DCF Commissioner Linda Spears. “A collaborative approach is crucial to protecting children from these predators and meeting the unique needs of youth who have been victimized.”

“One of the most important priorities of any police department is protection of the most vulnerable members of society,” said State Police Colonel Richard D. McKeon. “This unit will be an important part of our broader mission to protect the Commonwealth’s children and teenagers.”

A new Human Trafficking Unit within the Massachusetts State Police has been created to specifically target trafficking cases involving juveniles age 18 and under, and will coordinate their efforts with the Department of Children and Families. While playing a supporting role with local police in smaller cases, the Human Trafficking Unit will collaborate with local law enforcement on the investigations of larger trafficking cases. Detective Lieutenant Pi Downsbrough will lead the team of three (3) other State Police Troopers.

A key change to DCF's new protective intake policy spearheaded by the Baker-Polito Administration is that the victimization of a child through sexual exploitation and/or human trafficking must be immediately referred to the District Attorney, regardless if the person responsible is a caregiver or not. With the support of a five-year federal grant awarded in 2014, DCF is partnering with county-based Children's Advocacy Centers to establish multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) to respond to DCF referrals. MDTs are now operating in Suffolk, Hampden, Bristol and Barnstable/Dukes Counties, with the remaining counties coming online by fall 2018. The grant also provides training and technical assistance to each county, the MDTs, and youth-serving organizations, and assists with updates to DCF policies to include human trafficking and the needs of victims and at-risk youth.

According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, over 1,300 human trafficking calls have been reported in the Commonwealth since 2007—and a majority of cases involve the sex trafficking of adult females.  This statistic does not account for cases that are underreported, which continues to be a major challenge for law enforcement and state agencies, like the Department of Children and Families, as they seek to identify the drivers of human trafficking in our state.  As reported by the Support to End Exploitation Now (SEEN) Coalition, a program that partners with public and private agencies for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation, 70 percent of their referrals involve DCF as child welfare is identified as a risk factor for children who are victimized by trafficking.

Separately, with the support of a five-year federal grant awarded in 2014, DCF is partnering with county-based Children's Advocacy Centers to establish Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDT) to respond to DCF referrals. MDTs are now operating in Suffolk, Hampden, Bristol and Barnstable/Dukes Counties, with the remaining counties coming online by fall 2018. The grant also provides training and technical assistance to each county, the MDTs, and youth-serving organizations, and assists with updates to DCF policies to include human trafficking and the needs of victims and at-risk youth.

The budget proposal put forth by Governor Baker in January includes funding in the Executive Office for Public Safety to create domestic violence prevention training programs for local law enforcement and a best practice toolkit for cities and towns. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 budget proposal also includes an additional $200,000 over FY 2016 to fund the annualization of four domestic violence specialists brought on in FY 2016, as well as a $93,000 increase over FY 2016 (to $4.5 million) for the Department of Public Health's Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) and Pediatric SANE Program.

麻州甫宣佈 4/5 為農業日

State Officials Celebrate Agriculture Day at the State House

April 5, 2016 Declared “Massachusetts Agriculture Day”

BOSTON - April 5, 2016 –Today, state agriculture officials, farmers and students celebrated Agriculture Day at the State House. A collaborative effort between the Massachusetts Promotional Board, Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation and Federation of Massachusetts Farmers Markets, Agriculture Day brought farmers and agricultural organizations together to showcase locally-grown food and farm products they produce across the Commonwealth and to have their voices heard by legislators about issues affecting the agricultural community.

“By strengthening our agricultural sector, we are working towards healthier communities and a stronger economy,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I encourage all Massachusetts residents to support our local farmers and food producers and purchase Massachusetts grown and produced products whenever possible.”

In recognition of the day, April 5, 2016 was declared “Massachusetts Agriculture Day” and honorary citations were presented to the Eastern State Exposition (The Big E) in recognition of their centennial celebration, and Norfolk Country Agricultural High School in recognition of their 100 year anniversary. 

“Our administration is proud to support the Commonwealth’s agricultural sector that produces nutritious fresh food all year long, while taking care of the environment and preserving open space,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “By declaring April 5, 2016 as ‘Massachusetts Agriculture Day,’ we hope to recognize and raise awareness of the importance of our many farmers and food producers.”

“Agriculture Day is a great opportunity to discuss issues specific to the agricultural industry, which is a vital part of the state’s economy and provides clean, healthy food to Massachusetts residents,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs  Secretary Matthew Beaton. “The current continued growth of farms and movement towards buying locally-sourced ingredients will help the Commonwealth’s citizens lead a better, healthier lifestyle.”

There are approximately 7,700 farms in Massachusetts maintaining almost 523,000 acres of open space. These farms employ some 28,000 workers and contribute about $492 million to the state economy. Massachusetts is ranked fifth in the United States for direct market agricultural sales.

“I feel privileged to be joined by the Baker-Polito Administration to recognize and celebrate our farmers and food producers today,” said Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) Commissioner John Lebeaux. “Together with many of our agricultural partners, we gather to recognize accomplishments, identify challenges and prepare for a successful growing season.”

Agricultural Day awards were presented to State Representatives Keiko Orrall (R-Lakeville), Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester) and Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington).

“Our farmers work from sun up to sun down and deserve to be supported and celebrated in the Commonwealth,” said State Representative Keiko Orrall (R-Lakeville). “I am honored to receive an Agricultural Day award and will continue to be a strong advocate for the agricultural community.”

“As the daughter and granddaughter of fishermen, I have often times felt a kinship to our farmers. We should honor those who harvest and produce the food that feed our families and our Commonwealth,” said State Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester). “I am truly humbled to be recognized for my efforts to elevate the status of farming and fishing families and small businesses, those whose industry built and grew our Commonwealth, for without them, we would lack the very basics of well-being, nourishment, health and security.”

“Today, we celebrate the long-standing tradition and dedication of Massachusetts farmers and food producers who work to meet the increasing demand of consumers for more fresh, local and nutritious foods,” said State Representative Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington). “This year, I am honored to receive the Agricultural Day Award along with Representatives Ann-Margaret Ferrante and Keiko Orrall.”  

“Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation is pleased that the Baker-Polito Administration has recognized today as Agriculture Day,” said Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation President Edward Davidian. “The energy and excitement surrounding our industry at the State House is infectious and we are looking forward to a productive year working with our growers and state representatives to strengthen and maintain our agricultural heritage.”

For the concluding reception in the Great Hall, culinary students and instructors from the Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Program prepared and presented a “Taste of Massachusetts” menu, using products donated from approximately 40 farms and food producers across the Commonwealth.

摩頓市警察局 4/30 拍賣自行車

City of Malden Bike Auction

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Need a bike? The City of Malden Police Department will be holding a Bike Auction on Saturday, April 30, 2016 from 10-11 AM at the Malden Police Department Garage at the Corner of Exchange and Commercial Streets. Parking is available on Pleasant Street, and the LAZ parking garage on Jackson Street. Please do not park behind the station on Exchange Street.  These spaces are reserved for emergency vehicles only.

There will be nearly 30 bicycles and bids start at $1. All bicycles are sold in “as is” condition. Come on down and strike a deal!

劍橋市議員張禮能 4/7 將正式宣佈參選麻州參議員

Cheung Launches Field Operations, Reports Fundraising Ahead of Campaign Kickoff

Cambridge, MA - Cambridge City Councillor Leland Cheung’s campaign for State Senate continues to expand and garner support. Cheung has more than enough certified signatures to qualify for the ballot and launched field operations in Cambridge, Medford, Somerville, and Winchester over the weekend.

Cheung raised more than $25,000 in the month of March. “I’m very grateful for the tremendous support I’ve received from across the district,” Cheung said. “I look forward to building on this momentum by engaging with residents and sharing my innovative ideas for the district.”

Leland will meet with supporters at his campaign kickoff event and fundraiser this Thursday, April 7th, in Somerville. He invites members of the community to join him at Redbones BBQ, 55 Chester St. in Somerville from 6:00-8:30pm. Leland will be making remarks at 7:00pm.

Former Senior Executives of Global Financial Services Company Charged in Scheme to Defraud Clients through Secret Trading Commissions

Former Senior Executives of Global Financial Services Company

Charged in Scheme to Defraud Clients through Secret Trading Commissions

 

BOSTON – Two former high-ranking executives of a Boston-based financial services company, which is one of the world’s largest asset managers and custody banks, have been charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud at least six of the bank’s clients through secret commissions applied to billions of dollars of securities trades. 

 

Ross McLellan, 44, of Hingham, Mass. and Edward Pennings, 45, who is believed to be living abroad, were charged in a five-count indictment with conspiring to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, as well as two counts each of securities fraud and wire fraud.  McLellan, a former executive vice president of the bank who served as president of its U.S. broker-dealer unit, was arrested this morning in Hingham and will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston later today.   

 

U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz of the District of Massachusetts, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Harold M. Shaw of the Boston Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

 

“The secret conversations and backroom plotting laid bare in today’s charges paint a vivid picture of a brazen fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Ortiz.  “The defendants never thought anyone would hear those conversations – conversations in which they plotted to overcharge their clients by millions of dollars, and to hide their tracks.  With each trade, they chipped away at the savings of thousands of retirees whose pensions they were charged with safeguarding.  Bankers who abuse their clients’ trust in this way must be held accountable.  And we will work hard to ensure that they are.”

 

“The defendants are charged with reaping millions of dollars of illicit profits by abusing their clients' trust and secretly setting their own inflated compensation," said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  "The charges announced today reflect our continued commitment to hold individuals accountable for toying with the integrity of our financial system."

 

"As alleged, Ross McLellan and Edward Pennings cheated and lied to investors so that the bank could line its pockets. Actions like theirs undermine investor confidence. This case demonstrates the FBI's commitment to unraveling elaborate and complex schemes, motivated by sheer greed, that ultimately undermine our financial markets," said Special Agent in Charge Shaw. 

 

        The Indictment alleges that, between February 2010 and September 2011, McLellan and Pennings, together with others, conspired to add secret commissions to fixed income and equity trades performed for at least six clients of the bank’s “transition management” business, which helps institutional clients move their investments between and among asset managers or liquidate large investment portfolios.  The commissions were charged on top of fees the clients had agreed to pay the bank, and despite written instructions to the bank’s traders that generally reflected that the clients were not to be charged trading commissions.  McLellan and Pennings then allegedly took steps to hide the commissions from the clients and others within the bank, including by directing that the commissions not be broken out in post-trade reports. 

 

        For example, the Indictment alleges, among other things, that:

 

• In a telephone call in March 2010, Pennings instructed an unidentified co-conspirator in the transition management unit not to talk about the plans to charge hidden commissions on one transaction “with anyone . . . because it’s not going to help our story.  Don’t even share it with the rest of the team, to be honest.”
• In June 2010, McLellan and the unidentified co-conspirator requested that the bank’s traders provide them with the reported daily high and low prices of securities the bank had traded for the client so that they could determine the amount of the commissions to be applied to each security without attracting the client’s attention by exceeding the bounds of reported prices. 
• In March 2011, McLellan instructed a U.S. fixed income trader to charge a one basis point (0.01%) commission to each trade conducted for another client – notwithstanding that the written trading instructions for the transaction said to charge zero commissions – and subsequently instructed the trader to delete any reference to the commissions from the trading results he sent to the transition manager assigned to the project.

In June 2011, when one of the affected clients inquired about whether it had, in fact, been charged commissions in breach of its agreement with the bank, it is alleged that Pennings initially denied that any commissions had been charged.  Later – at McLellan’s direction – Pennings acknowledged only that some commissions had been “inadvertently” charged on securities traded in the United States, but did not disclose that they had, in fact, been intentionally charged, in the United States and in Europe.  McLellan and Pennings then allegedly sought to mislead the bank’s compliance staff into believing that the commissions had been charged in error and that the amount of the overcharges was limited to the commissions applied on U.S. securities.

       

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The United States Attorney’s Office and the Fraud Section have also received valuable assistance from the Securities & Exchange Commission as well as from authorities in the United Kingdom, including the City of London Police.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Frank, Deputy Chief of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit and Trial Attorney Aisling O’Shea of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. 

 

波士頓公校增加200幼稚園學位 東波士頓兩校增開學前班

 BPS Adds 216 New Pre-kindergarten Seats, Expands Early-Education Opportunities For Boston Families

BOSTON — April 5, 2016 — The Boston Public Schools (BPS) announced today that two East Boston schools will be offering pre-kindergarten classes for the first time, including one that is a dual-language program, as part of a commitment by Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Boston School Committee, and Superintendent Tommy Chang to expand early-education opportunities for Boston families.

“Boston families deserve expanded access to high-quality, early-educational experiences,” said Mayor Walsh. “This is about strengthening the foundation of learning for our children. The experiences they have before entering kindergarten will shape their ability to learn, and I’m proud that we’ll be able to give more children the strong start they need to succeed within Boston Public Schools and beyond.”

The new pre-K seats at the Donald McKay K-8 School and the Mario Umana Academy are among the more than 200 additional K1 seats created as strategic investments in the BPS FY17 budget that was approved on March 23 by the Boston School Committee.

K1 classes are available to children who turn four years old by Sept. 1 of a school year.

The McKay’s new K1 program will have 22 seats, and the Umana will have 20 seats in its English-Spanish dual-language program. They are among a group of five schools that were recently selected for the expansion of K1 seats for the 2016-17 school year.

In addition to the McKay and Umana, the other three schools, which already have existing K1 programs, are: Baldwin Early Learning Pilot Academy in Brighton; Young Achievers Science and Math K-8 in Mattapan; and Mildred Avenue K-8 in Mattapan. Each of these classes is expected to have a full capacity of 22 seats.

These five schools are now available to families interested in registering for a K1 seat as part of the enrollment process for the coming school year. Families interested in these schools and others should visit one of the BPS Welcome Centers between now and the April 15 registration deadline.

Altogether, BPS will be expanding K1 classes next year school to a total of ten schools, including five other schools that were previously included in an earlier round of school enrollment. These schools are: the West Zone Early Learning Center; Curley K-8; Harvard/Kent Elementary; Josiah Quincy Elementary; and Charles Sumner Elementary.

With the expansion of new seats, BPS next school year will be providing K1 education of some form to a total of approximately 2,800 students at 96 percent, or 76 of the district’s 79 elementary schools in the district.

Noting that Boston Public Schools is considered a national leader in early childhood education, Boston School Committee Chairperson Michael O’Neill said participation in the BPS K1 program has consistently shown that it helps to reduce achievement gaps in later grades.

According to national and district research, Black and Hispanic/Latino students who participate in BPS K1 outperform white students who do not participate in K1. Meanwhile, students who participated in the BPS K1 program were also 50 percent more likely to be “ready for kindergarten” than students who did not participate and they outperformed their peers in math and literacy tests by 20 percent.

“Closing the achievement gap is one of the School Committee’s and the district’s top priorities,” said O’Neill, citing the creation of the School Committee’s Achievement and Opportunity Gaps Task force. “It is critical that we begin doing this as early possible in a child’s life in order to give our students a jump start on succeeding in school.”

Recently, a Harvard study published by the Society for Research in Child Development found the academic gains achieved by students in the BPS early-childhood programs are the “largest found to date in evaluations of large-scale public pre-kindergarten programs.”

 “At an early age, our​ students are learning valuable foundational skills, including the ability to work with peers, count and solve complex problems. ​This expanded access to pre-kindergarten programming will improve our children's math and literacy readiness, and we're confident that this opportunity will put them on a pathway to continued success," Dr. Chang said.

Claudia Gutierrez, principal of the Umana, said the new dual-language K1 class will strengthen her school’s dual language program for the upper grades by helping students who enter kindergarten be prepared for the academic rigor.

"The Mario Umana Academy is excited to offer East Boston families the first dual language K1 class in our community. These students will be the first to complete a full K1 through grade 8 dual-language program in East Boston. Biliteracy in both English and Spanish gives Umana students an edge in an increasingly globalized world,” Gutierrez said. "The younger you are when you learn a language, the easier it is to attain fluency.”

Jordan Weymer, principal of the Donald McKay School, said his school is excited to be expanding educational opportunities for young children and their families in East Boston.

“The addition of a new K1 classroom will be an essential element in increasing the academic outcomes of our children by providing them with a solid foundation for future success,” Weymer said.

摩頓市Forestdale學生學習反霸凌 為關注自閉症籌款

Forestdale School Students Work to Make a Difference

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Forestdale School Students have been working hard to make a difference. One a month, the entire fifth grade comes together as a group for “Connections” and participates in team building exercises. These valuable lessons have become the foundation for an anti-bullying curriculum, encouraging working with others, respecting one another’s differences, and advocating for students to come together for a common goal. The experience has carried over into the students’ daily work in and outside of school and has inspired them to give back to the community. Assisted by Grade 5 teacher Ms. Susan Horvitz, the fifth graders decided to collaborate to raise money for Autism Awareness and made pins and ribbons, sold them during the school day and raised $1,000!  The money raised will be donated entirely to the ten ILP (Individualized Learning Program) classrooms at the Forestdale School. Way to go!

波士頓市長請民眾舉報道路坑洞

MAYOR WALSH ASKS RESIDENTS TO REPORT POTHOLES, DISPATCHES CREWS TO REPAIR

BOSTON - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced he is dispatching 15 Public Works Department (PWD) trucks to repair potholes across the City.  The combination of freezing temperatures, a thaw and precipitation make roads especially susceptible to defects. The Mayor is encouraging residents to report potholes through any of the City's several different platforms, including:  Mobile: Download the free BOS:311 app on iOS or Android (previously known as Citizens Connect) Online: Boston.gov/311 Social Media: Tweet @BOS311 Phone: Dial 3-1-1 (previously the Mayor's 24-hour hotline 617-635-4500. For those with VoIP and for calls from outside Boston, callers should continue to dial 617-635-4500.)