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BOSTON - Thursday, September 10, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh
and the Boston Police Reform Task Force today announced the Task Force's
initial, draft recommendations to bring lasting, systemic change to the
Boston Police Department (BPD), and enhance enforceability, accountability,
trust, and transparency, improving the relationship between the BPD and
Boston community that it serves and protects. In June, the Task Force was
charged with reviewing the Boston Police Department's current policies and
procedures. The Task Force is focused on four main areas of review: Use of
Force policies; Implicit Bias Training, the Body-worn Camera Program, and
Strengthening the Community Ombudsman Oversight Panel (CO-OP).
As part of their draft recommendations, the Task Force
recommends the City of Boston and Boston Police Department undertake the
following five tasks:
- Create an
independent Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT)
with full investigatory and subpoena power, i.e. the ability to call
witnesses and to compel the discovery of documents, to replace the
CO-OP.
- Formalize and
expand the BPD's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Expand the
BPD's use of the body-worn camera program where it increases police
transparency and accountability, and continue to ban the use of
biometrics and facial recognition software.
- Enhance the
BPD's Use of Force policies so that they articulate clear and
enforceable disciplinary code of consequences for violations and
infractions and hold the BPD publicly accountable for the violation of
these policies.
- Adopt data and
record practices that maximize accountability, transparency and public
access to BPD records and data.
These recommendations will have a two-week public comment
period and a public listening session during the week of September 21
before final recommendations are submitted to Mayor Walsh. The
recommendations are actively being translated into five languages, and the
full report is available here.
"The time for urgent change is now, and I thank the Task
Force members for their in-depth work, and commitment to holding our City
to a higher standard," said Mayor Walsh. "These initial
recommendations will guide how we reform Boston's police force, and
strengthen our commitment to community policing. As we finalize this
report, we'll continue to prioritize the voices of our Black and Brown
residents, who bear the brunt of the racial injustices embedded in our
society."
"These draft recommendations are the result of months of
community engagement, extensive research, and hard work from the members of
the Task Force, and I want to thank each and every person for contributing
to this initial version," said Chairman of the Boston Police Reform
Task Force Wayne Budd. "As we continue our work to finalize these
recommendations, I urge all Boston residents to read our report, and share
your feedback, and be a part of this crucial, important work."
In June, Mayor Walsh signed the "Mayor's Pledge" issued
by the Obama Foundation's My Brother's Keeper Alliance as one of the
strategies to address racism as an emergency and public
health crisis.
The Mayor committed the City of Boston to review police use of force
policies; engage communities by including a diverse range of input
experiences and stories; report review findings to the community and seek
feedback; and reform police use of force policies. The Boston Police Reform
Task Force is composed of members from the community, law enforcement,
advocacy organizations, and the legal profession, to ensure that these
commitments are translated to actions. Over the summer, the Task Force
hosted a series of community listening sessions to gather community
feedback related to police reform.
"At the Boston Police Department, our mission is to keep
our communities safe, provide opportunities for those who need it, and
build trust throughout our neighborhoods," said Boston Police
Commissioner William Gross. "We are committed to ensuring transparency
and accountability in the Boston Police Department, and I thank the Task
Force for their work in helping us better serve our communities."
On June 11, 2020, Boston Police Commissioner William Gross
announced he completed a review of Boston Police's policies against the
recommended use of force policies outlined in the "8 Can't Wait"
effort, resulting in clarified rules and the implementation of several
reforms. In addition, as part of Mayor Walsh's Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21)
budget, Mayor Walsh allocated 20% or $12 million of the Boston Police
Department's overtime budget to make a significant investment in equity and
inclusion across the City.
Mayor Walsh has previously committed his full support of body
cameras being worn by officers during all shifts, including overtime, and
Boston Police are actively working toward that goal. In addition, Mayor Walsh
announced that moving forward the Boston Police Department no longer uses
the hair test for evidence of drug use in officers or recruits, a decision
that was made in partnership with the police unions.
Members of the Boston Police Task Force include: Chairman
Wayne Budd, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts; Allison
Cartwright, Attorney in Charge at the Roxbury Public Defender's Office;
Joseph D. Feaster, Jr., Chairman of the Board, Urban League of Eastern
Massachusetts; Tanisha Sullivan, President of the NAACP Boston Branch;
Darrin Howell, President of DRIVE Boston Community Resources Inc. &
Political Coordinator for 1199SEIU; Boston Police Superintendent Dennis
White, Chief of Staff; Marie St. Fleur, former Massachusetts State Representative;
Rev. Jeffrey Brown, Associate Pastor at the Historic Twelfth Baptist Church
in Roxbury; Boston Police Sergeant Eddy Chrispin, President of the MA
Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, Inc.; Javier Flores,
Partner at Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP and Jamarhl Crawford, Boston resident.
This report reflects the contributions of hundreds of people
and is the result of a collaborative process. The Task Force is grateful to
everyone who participated in the process. The Task Force consulted with various
experts during the research and drafting of these recommendations. It
wishes to thank them for their generous contribution of time and expertise.
The Task Force appreciates: Branville G. Bard, Commissioner, Cambridge
Police Department; Larry Mayes, Former CO-OP Panel Member; Natashia
Tidwell, Former CO-OP Panel Member; Julien Mendele, Esq., Boston CO-OP
Panel Member; Christina Miller, Esq., Boston CO-OP Panel Member; Jassie
Senwah, Boston CO-OP Panel Member; Meredith Shih, Esq., Boston CO-OP Panel
Member; the Honorable Regina Quinlan (Ret.), Boston CO-OP Panel Member;
Susan Lee, Deputy Mayor of Public Safety, Chicago Civilian Office of Police
Accountability; John Darche, New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board;
Jerika Richardson, New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board; Yojaira
Alvarez, New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board; Dr. Atiyah Martin,
All Aces, Inc; Dr. Tracie L. Keesee, Center For Policing Equity; John
Gibbons, United States Marshal District of Massachusetts; Maria Cheevers,
Director of Research and Development, Boston Police Department; Jenna
Savage, Deputy Director of Research and Development, Boston Police
Department; Jen Maconochie, Director of Strategic Initiatives &
Policies, Boston Police Department; Segun Idowu, Executive Director, Black
Economic Council of MA and Co-Founder, Boston Police Camera Action Team;
Shekia Scott, Co-Founder, Boston Police Camera Action Team; Rahsaan Hall,
Director, Racial Justice Program, ACLU of MA; Rachael Rollins, Suffolk
County District Attorney; Jack McDevitt, Director of Northeastern
University Institute on Race and Justice. The Task Force wishes to thank
Lon Povich, Lily Ricci and Amber Aspinall of Anderson Kreiger LLP and RJ
("Jack" ) Cinquegrana, Danielle Pelot, Diana Lloyd, and Christine
Savage of Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP, who contributed invaluable
research to the Task Force.
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