Transcripts For WHDH Urban Update 20160221

Shot and killed a man in dorchester. They claim refused to drop his gun when ordered to by Police Officers. In an attempt to be proactive they did meet with black leaders at boston please headquarters and show them a video which appears to corroborate Boston Police his account that officers returned fire only after the 29yearold man shot at them first. Upon Boston Police and dan conley were present as well as our next guest. Who we want to share with what went on during the 90 minute meeting with 30 spares a welcome now our good friend boston naacp president , Michael Curry and boston city counselor, tito jackson. Welcome to urban update. And thank you so much for stopping by. So lets put in perspective for those who may be turning, this was a shooting that happened on about a week andahalf ago right . , that is correct. Speaking where did the video come from . Were two videos, one from maybe i would say 40 or 50 yards and a closer distance and they were both residences that had visios in front of their home. Speakers of this takes place and i would imagine tito that you get a phone call or how how does this meeting occur . What i would say is is actually stems from the angelo west case that happened on humbled avenue when which a Police Officer was shot by an individual getting out of a vehicle. Right after that, about 24 hours after that, we received a phone call from the commissioner that said we would like to to come and view the video. One of the caveats that we had in viewing that and michael said this, russell this, all of us said do not only show as this one, any time that there is a Police Involved shooting we want to have this type of debriefing whether it is or not other cases where there may not have been so much clarity. Speed racer you want to set a precedence . Right right. The chance of authentic again in tito and i have had this conversation with that boston apart from other cds, chicago has been torn up over this in the last year or so with the look on mcdonnell shooting and even as the mayor of chicago announced that theyre going to have a 60 day policy with they will double were already beyond that. There is a release of the video here, the challenges when you do it, how you do it, who is in the wrong and how we respond to what we have seen and that is what were still trying to start some of the stuff out. Alberto and that response, i think michael definitely said some really important things. Our objective is not to go and we are not the da. To go in and to make a declaration as to whether or not the shooting is substantiated or not. That decoration. But what i believe our job is, is to view it but also to two put forward any irregular alleys. Any questions relative to that and i think the declaration is something that and i think we have all tried to stay away from making the actual official declaration because that is actually not our role. But having at the table, right away, transparency i think is a trend very important from a Community Point but i think this is a very fresh and new approach that Boston Police should take credit for doing and reaching out to you guys. Yes the case that tito mentioned, the west case. Was a great example and a great opportunity for the city to do it the right way. So we were in within 24 hours but it was also about asking about one with the family see the video . It was about making sure as you that happened on the scene while the body was in the street and people were upset. The black lives matter movement, with twitter and facebook, people can get to it scene within minutes. Now it allows for us to set whatever narrative we can get from those videos, that we can commit communicate that. Were cautious though because the investigation still needs to sort of bear out what actually happened but there are some things that we can get from the videos and communicate and were still working through how we do that. And i want to get, i need i say this is great, it was awesome but there were some tweets and some stuff that you guys would like to see happen. And i wanted to tell for the public, what would you like to see improved in the future . I would say one, i appreciate the transparency and this does at boston aside. Russell homes is when he as well as others have pushed for by cameras. It is not going to work every single time and we can not count on michael possibly having a camera on the back of and so i believe that by cameras would also, it would protect all involved and i think that is something that is simple and also we have never had cameras in the city of boston. I believe those are complement that would actually help us. So you feel good you feel good about this . Yes there are some concerns i have again we are being asked for concerns. My concern is who gets involved in writing . I did there is a tendency to buy an invite people who are friendly with an administration. I think that holmes is there, make me so confident that there are critical thinkers, critical folks at last the right questions. But there are others that should be involved. Some of the women, i think were working through the and number two is the messaging. We do not want to walk out and have 20 different narratives so there is a need for us to get in the room and say okay, how we communicate this and we will do this in a way that is respectful to the family that may not have seen the video. If there is a shooter in the case their family and we have received calls and hagar need to figure this out and maybe speak with one unified voice. We need to figure that out. And i think the last point is we hope this never happens again. We hope were actually able to deal with Mental Health issues that we are able to deal with unemployment issues and the wealth and economic disparity that causes specific situations like this too often and specific parts of the city of boston. Alberto like there is a plan in place and you guys are at the table. Thank you so much for coming by this table this morning and well keep tabs on the situation. Thank you so much. Coming up, Boston Public Schools superintendent dr. Tommy chang makes his urban update with you right here alberto our next guest, the boston superintendent of schools dr. Tommy chang has a unique and am dialogue with a diverse human is a boston in an effort to engage parents from broad background theyre launching a televised event on local cable access channels for parents who traditionally are not that vocal or active that can ask questions and person, scheduled at we will be carried by local channels which is shall 58, comcast 293 and 29, boston city t. V. Channel 24 and channel 13. To tell us more about the event we welcome dr. Tommy chang, boston superintendent of schools. Good morning. Thank you for having me. Alberto absolutely, this is important and unique. Youre taking to the airwaves after the show. How did this get all started . How this idea kind of become to fruition . I would say the first thing i knew coming into boston it was super important to outreach. Especially to restore ethnic communities. I am the son of an immigrant parents to the United States and i know that how important it is for immigrants to have a voice in our schools so we have engaged in many communities we will start at this very special and innovative event. Alberto for disclosure have to look at the camera and the people now, i will be moderating so you and i will do this roadshow again except it will be on live television. On the local access channels. But it is different. How do you kind of view this as being different and unique . Because it is a new approach. Exactly so we are going to take many forms to reach out to parents. So on that day, parents can come to in person, they can engage us on facebook, it will be a dialin number, they will be to call in and ask questions. Well have a survey for them and they can actually go on to the website right now, www. It is on the screen. Alberto i think people will also build test questions someone will translate them for a simultaneous at that moment and you will be able to answer. I think this multilanguage multicultural aspect is great. Absolutely and very good you almost coming offguard. What has been the feedback of the community so far . There has been deep appreciation for the fact that weve been reaching out so what we have been doing in our team is actually going to our community centers. Theyre going to meet with family. Were not income to this building all the time were going to meet with them and listen and learn from them. Alberto this is really a great way to accept and really put a brand on boston as a diverse community. Would you not say that . Yes and i find boston to be so wealthy in resources. They are so wealthy and diversity and these are all strengths of boston. And so im very excited about what we can do in Boston Public Schools. We just finished the first 100 into our longterm strategic works. You want to talk about the longterm can you give us a preview kind of of your vision . More on the global longterm . Yes absolutely. I would say the first thing is we have to continue actually listening to the communities in boston. And from what were learning were going to create a plan that actually meets the needs of our parents heard our parents will save schools, close the held High Expectations for kid and as we are about. Creating equity throughout the system and it works, again we are very excited to listen more and create a plan that works for families. Alberto you are the last Community Segment getting community involved. Youre going to face with a lot of things there the Boston Latin School issue that we did a whole show on that year. But there are many challenges as superintendent of schools in boston right . Yes and i will say that this work is not done alone by one person. Whole city of boston is worried about the culture of we. It is a culture we to lift up all the kids in boston. Alberto i think you hit all of the point in this interview and this is to be continued next week i want to put the information again or next month. It will be on a thursday evening, live at 6 40 p. M. With the superintendent and you continue to these, these are the only times i give you permission not to watch channel 7. Right . How long will it be that we will be off for an hour . Yes and will continue conversation after two. Alberto thank you for stopping by and i look forward to seeing you again on march 3 over at the rispoli building. Thank you. Alberto okay excellent. Thank you. Alright well he returned, top Massachusetts Business leaders get together to tackle policy challenges. Alberto more than 250 business and Civic Leaders will meet at the seaport district on march 21 to work on some of the states most pressing Public Policy challenges. It is hosted by the alliance for Business Leadership. It is not your average business conference is built around the top businesses and massachusetts. Have a lot to offer when it questions. Screen, that website we need to add i want to bring attention to that because the abl leader lab is a work in session with Business Leaders engage in handson problemsolving with top policy experts to tell us more about the event, we have jesse mermall with us. And how the demographics could affect the conversation. And we have Collette Phillips who is the ceo of her firm that helps to adjust the diversity or lack thereof of the region. Welcome to urban update. Thank you. This will be great. If would be a month from now. 3 and a half weeks but whos counting . Alberto for those who do not know about alliance for Business Leadership, what is it . It is a coalition of progressive Business Leaders united in what we think is a not so crazy idea that social responsibility and sustainable Economic Growth go alberto excellent. So i know that if you are around you going to make sure that day there is some talk about diversity because of the changing demographics in boston. Absolutely. Boston as you know is 53 Percent People of color. And as you like to say my friend, if you are not related to a latino, if youre not latino you will be related to one very soon. Alberto exactly. And you are 52 percent. So the demographics are changing and im proud to say as a member of the alliance that they are leading by example. Their board of directors is very gender and racially diverse and i am going to be working with jesse and others to help the membership also become even more diverse. Be. Thats awesome. So now jesse, how does this differ from the great work that you are doing the Business Roundtable . How do you add to that . You might know that thats a great question. We are different in two our members are individuals not businesses. Business is a member of the chamber, individual business alliance. And as for the second reason that we do not exist to advance business interests, we exist to policy. Now we would argue that those two things are one in the same, that progressive Public Policy like equal pay for increasing the minimum wage is also good for business and the economy but we do not get up every day to push a business agenda. We exist to create growth and opportunity for everybody in the commonwealth. Be free so what i want to do is, i want to remind folks about this wonderful event. I know we have a full screen out with the date and im going to continue to let people know that that website needs that alliance bl. Org. It is missing the. Org. But it is march 21. Along activity at the seaport world trade center. So what is going to happen in these eight hours . We are going to put you to work. Other members of the board are going to talk about what would be an interesting event to go to as opposed to just sitting around talked being talked out and bring a cheese plate at the end of the day . Time at that. We thought the business community, particularly the Progressive Community and that members of the alliance has something to give as far as big business challenges. We work with the Advocacy Community to ask what are the problems you are facing . What are the big challenges youre trying to tackle . And we developed an interactive professionally facilitated problemsolving day where we will ask folks to roll up their sleeves and really help us come up with ideas to move them forward. You will be there . Would you expect to show up . Every and anyone that you can think of who is a ceo in boston and in addition theres going to be a great panel with presley and jay ash speaking of he was the city have got some pretty you know aside from the business side, you have elected officials. Yes we have sign up to spend the day with us and give a keynote speech on race, diversity and equality in the business community. Gina reminder, the governor of rhode island, it is a you want to be there. You want to be there. Alberto okay so how can i participate . If i am watching, someone is watching can they still register for this . Absolutely. They absolutely can. The absolute that website that is up there. Alberto best for the website and we will people know that there is alliance bl. Org. And youll see information for everything on there. Alberto if youre watching it right now the website looks a little bit shorter looks like it is alliance bl. Org. So people can sign up and is there a cost involved . There is a cost involved, is a daylong involved we have to cover our costs. Alberto food is about . There is cheese, i promise. Great networking. You know will be great. Alberto took the words out of my mouth. Tell me about the networking. He comes at the end of the day and i think jesse, we did mention that this is why they say it is not your average conference, when the conference is over we do not leave all of those great thoughts in the conference room. Were going to Work Together after, form working groups and really take the best and brightest ideas that come out of that and have practical ways to solve some of the challenges in the business and policy community. It is good to see this coming together in one month ladies and gentlemen. March 21, thank you so much jesse nice to meet you. Likewise. Alberto and i was you had a cheese table. Alright coming up next, you could win tickets, not you to the sp awards dedicated to ending homelessness with a unique fundraiser this week i will give you all of the fun details here. It gets even better. You know those people who pay a little extra and get all the legroom in coach . That could be you, if you refinance your Student Loans. I can refinance, even with 4 loans from undergrad . Yes, you could replace your Student Loans with one new loan at a lower rate and save money on interest. Sounds easy it is easy just ask us how much you can save at 18669990218 or visit lightenyourloan. Com pour customers have saved an average of 147 a month more than 1,700 a year so treat yourself to something from that inflight magazine you can save up for a new car, a wedding, or a down payment on the home of your dreams. We got windchimes find out how much you can save by refinancing your Student Loans. We call it utopia out here. It s so peaceful so peaceful have a question about how much you can save . Ask a citizen at 18669990218 or visit lightenyourloan. Com alberto considered to be the realtors for the homeless, theyre based in boston they were a leading nonprofit dedicated to ending and preventing homelessness in the Greater Boston area. Helping homeless family individuals the less homesmart is saving the public cost as they remove people from shelters and costly motels and places them in appropriate housing. And to mouse more about the program and also about the upcoming unique fundraiser we set up for an hour to spend us in the cold which will happen later this week we have the homesmart president and president Matt Pritchard and board member kate trevor who has participated in nine icicles since its inception. I think she started when she was 11. They welcome to urban update. I know she likes that. Shes laughing how are you . Good. Alberto before we get into the event the whole concept of realtors for the homeless. I do that come about . What is the trajectory . About 20 years ago, people with hide decided to run a pilot to see if it would be more efficient economically to put people in emergency shelters to provide Housing Services and Stabilization Services for People Living in shelters and what they found is that it is significantly more economically efficient and a better outcome for the men and women are considerably better than those of the streets in a shelter for long periods of alberto how does one become a client or someone who is being served, how does the process occur . Suite of partnerships with every shelter in Greater Boston and their shelters will identify people who have been on the streets for a long time. Or who are experiencing a crisis and they have jobs but yet they need help to bridge the media got to get back into housing so they do not become chronically homeless. And so they will call us and ask us to provide our support services for them and typically we can find housing within about six months for those individuals and is very tight real estate market. Alberto yet and i want to get you dont worry. This young lady is over here but, the homelessness is still a problem in boston. Last year we got 4000 calls from families who are right on the brink of experiencing homelessness. These are families at or below the Poverty Level and we had evictions or nonpayment for 407 of those families. And so theres an acute need and so the event that were here to talk about, theres a direct relation between the success of that event and the number of families we can prent from experiencing homelessness in the first place. Alberto i love these kind of fundraisers that are a lot of fun, unique but really have some purpose to them. And this one falls into that category. So tell me young lady nine years in a row, how do you describe is to people . I cycle is an extremely amazing event. The reason i find that it is just fantastic is that we are all outside, it is called but the real meaning of the whole fundraiser is to raise awareness for those that live in that environment every single day. Alberto okay take me there, people. It fundraiser you cycle these bicycles tell me more. Whats going on here . We started 7 00 a. M. In the morning and we ended at 6 00 p. M. At night. Corporation or groups of corporations come together and every hour we have a spinning class. So everyone is very familiar with what happens indoors, but it also happens outdoors. Alberto who is this guy . That is pat the patriot. Because he get lot of corporate that the patriots represented there . Yesterday local media president and also you know pat the patriot, wally the green out. Alberto and i think in a little bit we will see this in a photo. So you highly recommend this. It is amazing. The energy is just incredible for blocks and blocks you can hear us yelling and screaming including hollering and you know its really just energetic and it brings you back to the roots of why youre actually there. Alberto and it will happen this week, theres still time for corporate teams to sign up . It is sunday. Is sunday absolutely there are still slots if youre with an organization you want to bring a team to ride you can do that. Two, five, 10 . From 2 to 30. And we write in our slots from 7 00 a. M. Through 5 00 p. M. Alberto so theres one team, i know theres a team shot and so who are these folks . This is an organization who has been involved with icicle from the very beginning so now you straight. Alberto kudos to them. I see that group shot. Very fun. Alberto then you go, wally. So you will be there hopefully this thursday . He will be. He and pat we are so out of rotating shifts. Alberto so we have is, who is this guy . Why seeing a picture . Is he famous or something . He is one of our four famous board members. We had a picture because he is so handsome. Alberto one pain raises really . And i will be there, the young lady on the left is single and i am married. Whatever her name is i will be fist pumping with her on thursday for a 25th. We have the website up. Your website is up on there, so i hope folks can get more information, get the number. I want to say the person donates 100 that they are automatically entered into a raffle to win two tickets to the los angeles to roundtrip airfare tickets. Read carpet for the espy awards. Everything that you cannot buy with your money. Alberto so that espy awards in la, me and a young lady. Yes a dear friend works with espy and wants to help us with that. So be donate 200 coming into rapid tickets to enter, to investigate. Alberto i might just have to do that larry. Thats like 10 minutes worth of airtime. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Absolutely. Alberto thank you for coming by. That is it for this edition of urban update. Before we go a special shout out to the very cool people fragrance counter at the square one mall. Viewers. We have for all of us here have a great sunday and everyone go out and enjoy the crazy weather. Realtime closed captioning provided by u. S. Captioning