Racial Justice & Public Safety
Everyone in Boston deserves to feel safe no matter their background or neighborhood. But safety is more than just the elimination of crime on our streets. It is the feeling that those who are sworn to protect us will not abuse their power – and will be held to account if they do. This is how we create the most important element of public safety: trust.
As City Councilor, I will:
Ensure that the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency has the funding, operational, & investigative independence needed to carry out its responsibilities
Work to increase resources for the Office of Returning Citizens and help establish a stronger network of support, education & training opportunities, and employment options for those returning from behind the wall
Support the work of the Black and Latino Men & Boys Commissions with full funding and incorporation of their work into city public safety strategies
Work to shift resources and responsibilities towards non-law enforcement public safety interventions, such as mental health professionals, substance use disorder counselors and social workers
Advocate for increased job opportunities for students and young adults, particularly boys of color, to interrupt the school & community-to-prison pipelines
Seek to remove police from Boston Public Schools, our children should not feel criminalized in the spaces we create for them to learn
Address police overtime spending, racial disparities in discipline/recognition within BPD, and efforts to incorporate more DEI & cultural competency through meaningful changes to police collective bargaining agreements
Fight to close the BPD Gang Database, which disproportionately harms communities of color
Protect our immigrant community - documented and undocumented - by maintaining Boston’s status as a sanctuary city and ensuring there is no participation between BPD & BPS and ICE
Commit to full transparency in efforts to enact reforms to our public safety systems, and not accept Police Union contributions