The Boston Police Reform Task Force, joined by Mayor Marty Walsh, is set to share on Tuesday its final recommendations on how to change the Boston Police Department and suggested next steps.
The group is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. from Boston City Hall. It will be livestreamed on this page.
Appointed by Walsh and led by former U.S. Attorney Wayne Budd, the task force last month initially recommended five items for reform at the Boston Police Department, including a new, independent oversight office and expanded use of bodycams.
The recommendations weren't final -- the draft report submitted in September was opened up to public comment, including at a Sept. 22 hearing.
A task force has outlined recommended changes to reform the Boston Police Department.
"We want residents to feel comfortable coming forward with any concerns that they might have," Walsh said at the announcement.
The public will be able to comment on the Boston Police Reform Task Force's draft report, including at a Sept. 22 hearing, before it's finalized, Walsh said at his regular news conference on the the city's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The recommendations are, as announced in a city news release:
- 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.
Read the full police reform draft report here:
Walsh has said that the oversight office will be staffed by civilians, not police officers, and housed in a city building that isn't City Hall or Police Headquarters.
Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, who in June modified department policies to align with proposals from the 8CantWait campaign, has expressed support for the task force's work.
"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," Gross said in a statement in September.
Members of law enforcement, advocacy groups, legal workers and the city community were appointed to the Boston Police Reform Task Force in June to review police practices in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Boston was one of many cities across the United States that saw major protests this spring in the wake of the killings of Floyd and other Black people by police.
Walsh said the task force's report is part of Boston's continued commitment to bringing about change, which has included Walsh's June 12 declaration of racism as a public health crisis. The mayor also announced the formation of the panel that day as part of a pledge to the Obama Foundation's My Brother's Keeper Alliance that committed to review and reform of the BPD's use of force policies that includes community engagement through a public process.
The City of Boston declared racism a public health crisis in June.
"Our steps in June were not one-time responses, these steps are not one-time actions," he said last month. "The goal is about continued dialogue and improvement."
Tuesday's announcement comes amid the coronavirus pandemic. The city reported 17,937 cases and 764 deaths as of Friday, the most recent day for which data was available.
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October 14, 2020 at 01:00AM
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WATCH: Boston Police Reform Task Force, Mayor Walsh Share Final Recommendations - NBC10 Boston
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