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.