Summer riots spawned the demand for police reform and investigations into police misconduct. The city of Boston has answered that call by creating an independent board that will look into the misconduct of police officers.

Boston's mayor, Martin Walsh, signed an ordinance this week establishing the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT). Along with OPAT, a newly-created Civilian Review Board and Internal Affairs Oversight Panel will help to build on the ordinance goal of investigating police misconduct.

The mission of the new ordinance reads in part, “The purpose of the OPAT is to provide a single point of entry for individuals with concerns or complaints related to the Boston Police Department and its officers and sworn personnel to be heard and responded to, and to provide the staffing and legal authority necessary to support the work of the OPAT and its related advisory boards and panels to undertake independent investigation and review of policing in Boston.”

In the press release issued by the City of Boston, the city states that it's taking the initiative to make the city a national leader on police reform. The press release reads in part,

“Now is the time to act with urgency to dismantle systemic racism across our city. The Office of Police Accountability and Transparency will support lasting, generational change by rooting out impropriety and ensuring the type of enhanced oversight that leads to greater community trust. This is an important milestone, but it’s only the beginning … towards equity in Boston.”

Boston Builds on Prior Police Reform Initiative

This is not the city's first effort at investigating and managing police misconduct. In June, Mayor Walsh created the Boston Police Reform Task Force. This task force set out to analyze the Boston Police Department's current policies and procedures. In doing so, the task force offered recommendations to help improve the Boston Police Department's operation. The task force was centered on four components including Use of Force policies, the Body Camera Program, implicit bias training, and the Community Ombudsman Oversight Panel (CO-OP).

It is because of the Boston Police Reform Task Force that the independent review board was created. The OPAT has not yet named an executive director; however, the city is looking for someone who is a non-practicing Massachusetts bar member to fill the role.

Boston Mayor Answers the Call of Black Lives Matter

The introduction of this new independent review board comes after calls for police reform resonated throughout the summer following a string of deaths of black men and women at the hands of police officers. The Black Lives Matter movement was a key player in the protests and gained global recognition in both the political and social sphere with one of their leading demands being “Defunding the Police.”

While earlier circulation of this term caused confusion among supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement, eventual clarity in the term’s aims to reallocate police funds was embraced by many cities, including Boston.

In June, the Mayor announced that the Boston Police Department would reallocate 20% of the department's funds - roughly $12 million - to programs that would enhance the community and address its needs, needs that were once addressed by law enforcement. The overall mission of the reallocation of funds was supported by a majority of efforts targeted at dismantling systemic racism by reviewing current policies and procedures.

Money was also reallocated away from the police department to help support the community in violence prevention, food insecurities, immigration assistance, mental health support, housing access, and other community improvement services.

Reaction to “Defund the Police” has been met with mixed criticism by Bostonians. One resident, 74-year-old Davida Andelman, shared with a Boston magazine dedicated to police reform that while she understands the concept of reallocating funds, she feels that redistributing them in ways that benefit the community yet stay within the department would be more beneficial.

In one instance, Andelman suggests that funds could be reallocated from the department's gang unit to serving at-risk youth directly as it would be more beneficial. Andelman explains, “I understand why a lot of folks in Boston and in my neighborhood would want to have monies go elsewhere, given everything that’s going on. Let’s figure out how to have that happen in a way that there can be some coming to agreement.”

Jamarhl Crawford, another police reform advocate, takes issue with the stance of “Defunding the Police.” Crawford explains, “Folks might say, ‘Well, I don’t need the police.’ Well, that’s you. But somewhere there’s an 85-year-old lady who doesn’t have anybody living with her. And when she hears something that goes bump in the night, who is she supposed to call at 2:30 in the morning?”