Boston councilors ‘frustrated’ after administration no-shows police reform hearing

Fuming city councilors lambasted Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration and police department after no one from his office or the police brass showed up to their hearing about the implementation of police reform.

“I am deeply disappointed and frustrated that after weeks of notice about this hearing that administration has not sent any representatives from the police department or any department to participate and answer the public’s questions on significant public safety issues,” said City Councilor Andrea Campbell, the committee chair and lead sponsor of the hearing. “Our residents are counting on us to act with urgency and intention.”

City Councilor Julia Mejia, a co-sponsor, said it shows a “lack of regard” from the administration, and the third co-sponsor, City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, said it’s a “troubling trend” from Walsh’s side.

The hearing was called to chart the implementation of the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, which the mayor signed into law in December. That independent office, which will show up in the coming fiscal year’s budget, will include a civilian review board and have subpoena power.

The administration did send Campbell a letter detailing the changes the department is undergoing due to local and state law changes over the past several months.

The hearing also was meant to focus on whether there are any investigations into whether officers took part in the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Councilors have pointed to a Twitter account that they say suggests a Boston Police officer was in Washington for a rally, but there isn’t any publicly available evidence that any crimes were committed.

Campbell, a mayoral candidate, announced after the hearing she’s filing a formal subpoena for information about any such investigation.

Several people did testify, including advocates and police union representatives.

David Hernandez of the Latino Law Enforcement Group of Boston spoke about the need to continue to diversify the department. He said he himself has had bad interactions with police officers, including when a Boston cop choked his father when Hernandez was a kid.

“My choice was to become a police officer,” Hernandez said. “People like me already exist in policing … culture is changing.”

Hernandez said it’s a two-way street, saying that people in minority communities have to encourage people to work with police and report crimes, and to encourage young people to be “peacemakers” and consider joining the force.

“Our men and women are doing a great job on a daily basis,” said Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association. But he said the idea that cops aren’t constantly thinking about de-escalation, as some advocates said, is “simply a falsehood.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3qbJ61i