Boston Mayor Marty Walsh signed off this week on a series of police reform proposals from a task force convened this summer, giving his support to calls for an independent office to investigate police misconduct, an expanded body camera program, and more. However, with buy-in likely needed from the Boston police union, it remains to be seen how much will be implemented, and in what final form. Meanwhile, on the state level, a reform agenda that would create a licensing board for police officers and ban the use of chokeholds has stalled as the State House and Senate try to negotiate between their different versions of that bill.
To discuss, Jim Braude was joined by Rahsaan Hall, the director of ACLU Massachusetts’ Racial Justice Program, and State Rep. Russell Holmes, a member of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, who has long pushed for reforms on the state level.
