Brookline police moral could have impact on reform efforts wickedlocal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wickedlocal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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After nearly seven years, Brookline Police Detective Brian Sheehy resigned last month, giving up his title and seniority and relocating to Boston to enter that city’s police academy.
The Brookline Police Department has lost a number of officers to other agencies in recent years, according to union President Michael Keaveney, but never a detective a position many strive years to attain.
Sheehy is among seven officers who have left since July 2020; vacancies officials say could be difficult to fill due to national staffing challenges and concerns within the department.
Recruitment struggles
Brookline is authorized for 135 officers and there are more than a dozen vacancies, according to Deputy Superintendent Jen Paster, a police spokesperson.
Frustration. Anxiety. Resignation.
Those feelings have haunted Brookline Police Department employees in recent months, as the town – and the nation – reckons with issues of social justice and the role of policing in public safety.
The result: Brookline police morale is at an all-time low, according to an anonymous survey of Police Department employees.
The Select Board’s Committee on Policing Reforms surveyed more than 100 department employees – more than 53% of the department’s total employees – between Feb. 22 and March 6.
“The survey found, unsurprisingly, that morale in the department is very low, with 86% calling morale poor and just 3% good or excellent,” according to the committee’s report.
Brookline candidates grilled on racial justice, policing during forum wickedlocal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wickedlocal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Employ Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) as a consultant.
Asking police to post more data collection and analysis reporting on its website
Police Commissioner Advisory Committee: The idea behind the committee is that it will help the Select Board when it comes to weighing in on policies and procedures. The Select Board acts as the town s police commissioners, but have largely been seen as a rubber stamp for things related to the police department in recent years. Under the new committee, a member of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations will be designated as a liaison to help community members who file complaints against police and sit in on witness interviews during the investigation.