Frustrated politicians hope protests will drive policy

BOSTON -- For eight minutes and 46 seconds a group of federal, state, and local officials stood quietly on the steps of the State House Tuesday before laying out a policy agenda to prevent police brutality.

In the wake of a peaceful protest that turned violent Sunday evening, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, members of the state Legislature, and county and local officials gathered at the State House after processing from the African Meeting House on nearby Joy Street. While walking to the steps, the officials kept silent in memory of George Floyd, who died while in Minneapolis police custody nearly a week ago. Floyd's death sparked national unrest in cities all across the United States, from Boston to Los Angeles.

Rep. Carlos González, chair of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, said lawmakers need to create policies and protocols to prevent incidents like Floyd's death.

"No longer can police brutality and excessive use of force go unattended and unaccountable. We have been fighting this issue far too long," the Springfield Democrat said Tuesday. "Today we are gathered to ask Massachusetts to lead and speak directly to the pain and injustice facing our communities. To address the inequities that too often have been talked about yet legislation has fallen short."

Beacon Hill lawmakers, including Rep. Russell Holmes (D-Boston) and Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz (D-Boston), urged the Legislature to take out of study two bills (H 2146 and H 4110) that would reform civil service exams and create a special commission on structural racism. Another piece of legislation (H 2146) that now sits in the hands of the Rules Committee would create a special commission on peace officer standards and training.

"When we have as few people of color in the State House as we have, our agenda just doesn't seem to move the way we would like it to move," Holmes, a co-sponsor of one of the bills, said Tuesday. "We really call on the speaker, this is nothing personal."

At the federal level, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressely detailed a resolution that she introduced in the House to condemn police brutality, racial profiling, and the excessive use of force. The Massachusetts Democrat also advocated for independent investigations to hold law enforcement officers and police departments accountable.

Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera pushed for the creation of a civil review board or commission with subpoena power to investigate allegations of law enforcement wrongdoing.

"I also take pride in the many police officers that we took and fired from the police department, men and women that did not hold up the professionalism of police in our community," he said. "They're equally part of our legacy as mayors."

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, after a Senate session Monday, pointed to a recent bill aiming to eliminate health care disparities based on a number of factors, including race, as an example of Beacon Hill's ongoing work to address marginalized groups. The Legislature, he said, "has never lost focus ... on this issue."

"And we did that without the prompting of the events that happened in Minneapolis, and I think it's a testament to the fact that there's always work to be done," the Gloucester Republican said. "Fighting racism requires constant vigilance. And when that vigilance identifies an issue then it requires action."

Senate President Karen Spilka attended Tuesday's event and said in a statement "the first thing we have to do in this moment is listen and truly do the work of honestly addressing our own racial biases.

"I am committed to listening and learning from our communities of color and will be a true ally and fighter for racial justice in our Commonwealth," she said.

Last Friday, Spilka tweeted that she was "horrified by the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, and equally horrified to see the way that the police and Trump have reacted to the protests in Minneapolis. We demand justice for these individuals, their families, and the communities too long impacted by systemic racism in the United States. Please join me in stating loud and clear that Black Lives Matter, and in understanding that we must all do the work to be anti-racist."

On Sunday, House Speaker Robert DeLeo tweeted: "I grieve with the family of George Floyd and members of communities who have seen heinous incidents like these remain all too frequent in our society. This was not policing. This was a crime. I'm committed to learning from these communities and amplifying my colleagues' voices."

A sea of thousands of people covered downtown Boston Sunday evening during a demonstration to protest the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police.

What started as a peaceful march in Nubian Square around 6:30 p.m. disintegrated into violent clashes between protestors and police --- tear gas and pepper spray wafted through the streets of Downtown Boston. Boston police said they arrested 53 and issued a summons to one person as of Monday --- seven officers were injured.

Gov. Charlie Baker denounced the violent acts that took place Sunday night at a press conference Monday afternoon saying he expects the "criminals and cowards that tarnished that night's peaceful protests" will have their day in court soon.

González said he wants Baker to pursue immediate changes in law enforcement including independent investigations into incidents where excessive force occurs.

"We would like to see data collected as to any and all police complaints by city and municipalities," he told the News Service on Monday. "We would like to hear [Baker] talk about accountability of our law enforcement agencies and the licensing aspect, where somebody that is charged and convicted will not be able to move or go work in the same field in another municipality or state."

Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa said Monday she has spent the last few days researching legislation filed in other states to see if any of the policies are effective. The Northampton Democrat said armed police officers may not be the right response to a scene. Instead of sending an officer to a non-violent call, she said, a social worker who knows how to deescalate a situation could prove more beneficial.

Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin is depicted in a video kneeling on Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, according to news reports, and that eventually led to Floyd's death. In the video, Floyd repeatedly stated that he couldn't breathe which has since become a rallying call for protestors all across the nation.

"I don't think that, you know, a call about a counterfeit bill required an armed officer to come and hold somebody on the ground and choke them to death," she said. "I think someone who could have deescalated that calmly, talk through the situation, [would have been] much better."

Rep. Tim Whelan, a retired State Police officer, said in an interview with the News Service that he hopes the Legislature doesn't move too fast and that lawmakers listen to constituents' concerns to identify areas where the government can improve the delivery of police services.

"I wouldn't suggest anybody just file responsive legislation unilaterally. I get that some people may feel the need to do so," he told the News Service. "Certainly police training is one of the areas we're going to look at and how to build community relations and basically be better."