News & Events

Anderson & Kreiger is Proud to be a Member of the Task Force Working on Boston Police Reform Recommendations

Lon Povich, Lily Ricci and Summer Associate Amber Aspinall worked with other City Task Force members this summer to review 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).  Based on their review of current policies, the task force recommended:

1. 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.
2. Formalize and expand the BPD’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Adopt data and record practices that maximize accountability, transparency and public access to BPD records and data.

Anderson & Kreiger is proud to have been asked to be a part of this important initiative to find ways to bring the Community of Boston and the Boston Police Department together and improve their relationship through transparency, accountability and mutual trust.  To read more about the Draft Recommendations, the City of Boston’s Official Press Release can be accessed here: https://www.boston.gov/news/mayor-walsh-boston-police-reform-task-force-announce-draft-recommendations.