H2637 — An Act providing for greater police transparency

Summary

An Act providing for greater police transparency

Bill Text

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• Chapter 3 of the General Laws

  There shall be a permanent DJC task force that shall investigate, analyze and study the demographic statistics of all state, county, municipal and public departments, boards, commissions and agencies that receive funding by the commonwealth. The task force shall be authorized to perform audits on any state or county agency to ensure compliance with section 221 of chapter 6.

  Establishes a permanent task force to investigate and audit demographic statistics of funding recipients.

• Section 116 of chapter 6

  The committee shall ensure that committee-certified academies employ a staff that includes people of color and women, at least in such proportion as these groups exist in the commonwealth’s population as periodically determined by the state secretary as the commonwealth’s chief census officer.

  Requires that certified academies employ staff reflecting the demographics of the commonwealth.

• Section 116 of chapter 6

  The committee shall ensure that training requirements are developed based on the most relevant scenarios that law enforcement officers in the commonwealth may encounter based on the most recently available criminal statistics and data from law enforcement agencies, as defined in section 1 of chapter 6E.

  Mandates the development of training requirements based on relevant law enforcement scenarios.

• Subsection (b) of section 116G of chapter 6

  implicit bias and inclusion training to better understand and work with members of the community that may have different demographic characteristics or backgrounds.

  Adds implicit bias and inclusion training to law enforcement training requirements.

• Section 116J of chapter 6

  The committee shall ensure that, pursuant to said section 14, programs train officers to use non-lethal force before employing physical force that may result in injury or death.

  Adds a requirement for officers to be trained in the use of non-lethal force.

• Section 167 of chapter 6

  not include information concerning any offenses which are not punishable by incarceration → only include information concerning offenses relative to murder, as defined in section 1 of chapter 265.

  Restricts the types of offenses that can be included in certain public records to only those related to murder.

• Section 221 of chapter 6

  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, all state, county, municipal and public departments, boards, commissions and agencies shall ensure that its staff includes people of color and women, at least in such proportion as these groups exist in the commonwealth’s population as periodically determined by the state secretary as the commonwealth’s chief census officer.

  Creates a requirement for proportional representation of staff demographics in public agencies.

• Section 221 of chapter 6

  If a state, county, municipal or public department, board, commission or agency fails to meet the proportionality requirement in subsection (a), 50 per cent of the appropriation designated for the department, board, commission or agency shall be transferred to the General Fund.

  Imposes a financial penalty for failing to meet staff demographic proportionality.

• Chapter 6E of the General Laws

  Each law enforcement agency shall provide on a publically accessible website data relative to the hiring and retention of law enforcement officers, traffic stops performed by law enforcement officers, law enforcement officer response to residential homes, and law enforcement officer discipline.

  Requires law enforcement agencies to publish data on various law enforcement activities and demographics.

• Chapter 12 of the General Laws

  Any person who intentionally summons a law enforcement officer without reason to suspect a criminal act, imminent threat to a person or property or any other violation of the General Laws...shall be liable to the aggrieved person or persons, in a civil action for appropriate equitable relief.

  Creates civil liability for falsely summoning law enforcement based on discriminatory beliefs.

Sponsors

• Russell E. Holmes · Primary

Subjects