Reflections on Massachusetts' historic police reform law
Wicked Local
The police reform bill started out simply enough: A bicameral effort to limit the use of force by police officers, limit or eliminate no-knock warrants and to make policing more equitable
It wound up an overarching bill encompassing training, use of force, oversight and much more. It's ultimate aim, according to key negotiator Sen. Cynthia Creem, D-Newton, is to address ingrained, systemic racial bias.
"Institutional racism has been around forever," she said. "It's so ingrained for so many people, it's almost subconscious."
As a lead negotiator on Beacon Hill, Watertown Sen. William Brownsberger played an integral role in securing passage of the law in late December 2020.