Council calls for BPD limits
Boston city councilors are seeking to heavily limit police use of tear gas, rubber bullets and other “less lethal” crowd-control measures — the latest step in a push for change as protests continue.
City Councilors Andrea Campbell and Ricardo Arroyo are introducing a proposed law change at Wednesday’s council meeting that Boston Police officers “shall not use a Kinetic Impact Projectile or a Chemical Crowd Control Agent against any person or persons engaged in a protest, demonstration, or other gathering of any kind involving more than ten persons.”
The proposal defines that to mean tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, flash-bangs, beanbag rounds and other related tools.
The ordinance carves out narrow exceptions, saying someone ranked deputy superintendent or higher who personally sees violence or looting going on can authorize the use of these tactics, but only after two warnings over a loudspeaker
“These type of chemicals aren’t allowed in warfare,” Campbell told the Herald. “When folks are peacefully demonstrating, the police department should not be using these types of weapons just to move people along.”
Protests have taken place around the country over the last few weeks over police treatment of minorities and several high-profile police killings of black people, most prominently that of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man. In Boston, protests have very largely remained peaceful — with the exception of the night of May 31, when some people looted stores downtown, fought with officers and set a cop car on fire as police used some of the methods Campbell and Arroyo mention.
The Boston Police Department didn’t respond to a request for comment on the proposal, though the department rarely weighs in on pending legislation.
Arroyo is also entering formal records requests that require Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration to turn over racial and gender data on appointments to city boards, and information on all lawsuits the BPD has settled since 2015. Other councilors, including Liz Breadon, have filed resolutions in favor of efforts at the state level.
Last week, City Councilor
Michelle Wu filed an order requiring Walsh’s administration to turn over information about the use of “militarized” weapons and tactics by Boston Police. The administration response is expected within the next week.
Council President Kim Janey — who’s introducing a resolution this week for Boston to commemorate June 19 as the Juneteenth holiday, celebrating black people’s freedom from slavery — joined by Arroyo, Campbell and other elected officials of color, took part in a press conference in front of the State House two weeks ago in which the Massachusetts Black & Latino Legislative Caucus rolled out proposals for changes at the federal, state and local levels.