As you may have seen in the previous post, the League is committed to standing in solidarity with the Black community, by listening to and following the lead of civil rights organizations and the activists most affected by systemic oppression and violence.
The LWVMA will analyze proposed laws and policies as quickly as possible, so as always, stay tuned for action items in your mailbox or on the web site. For now, as we listen (and read), we will share with you information to think about.
One place to start reading is the 10-Point Plan of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus - “concrete and actionable steps that can be taken to combat systemic racism, police brutality, and various forms of injustice.”
Mayor Kim Driscoll posted on social media that she has pledged to (1) review Salem’s police use of force policies; (2) engage Salem by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in that review; (3) report the findings of the review and seek community feedback within 90 days; and (4) reform Salem’s police use of force policies based on the review. The Mayor can be reached at mayor@salem.com or 978-619-5600.
Members of the City Council are also engaging with concerned constituents and we look forward to seeing relevant items on their agendas in a timely fashion. The telephone numbers and email addresses of the Council members are found by clicking on their names on this page.
Meanwhile, the Salem Police Department has posted its use of firearms and use of force policy here and has said it will post more policies on this new page to increase transparency. Chief of Police Mary Butler can be emailed at admin@salempd.net (that is the Chief’s Administration, not the web site administrator).
More food for thought: How To Actually Fix America’s Police (an article by the legal scholar, criminologist, and police consultant who co-authored the book Evaluating Police Uses of Force) and the research and proposals found on 8cantwait.org.
Finally, we end with a reminder that there are many ways to promote reform. You can protest. You can write or call your elected officials. You can read and reflect on policies and practices that have led to this moment. You can listen to people and you can talk to people. You can run for office. Maybe you could join the police department or become a lawyer or research professor. But don’t forget to VOTE and help others register to vote.