Safety comes from deeply resourced communities. Our communities are over-policed, and the policing budget keeps growing while we’re in the midst of a housing and climate crisis. Our schools are severely underfunded, and young people and their families struggle to stay afloat. We can’t have safe communities without first investing in meeting the basic needs of our people while also working to create ways of preventing, responding to, and healing from harm without police and prisons. As your city councilor, I will ensure our collective well-being and safety by addressing root causes, focusing authentically and in-depth on healthy youth development, and implementing community-based violence prevention and intervention strategies.

  • Implemented a Civilian Flagger Program

    I held a hearing to discuss using Civilian flaggers at construction details in the City of Boston as part of an effort to advance alternative community safety models. A civilian flagger program would create hundreds of well-paying union jobs for historically over-policed communities hit the hardest by unemployment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The Mayor has identified construction flagging as a priority in the BPPA contract negotiation. Once the collective bargaining process is finalized, to implement a citywide civilian flagger program, we will repeal Municipal Code 11-6.9e, which will create the legal ability for civilian flaggers to function within the city and collaborate with community organizers to create a functioning, justice-centered, civilian flagger office.

  • Strengthened Transparency and Accountability

    The Boston Police Department’s Contract is policy, and the BPPA is the city’s largest police union, representing around 1,500 officers. With Councilor Arroyo as my co-sponsor, I filed a hearing order to discuss the process, timeline, and community engagement for the BPPA contract. The City Council held a hearing, and for the first time, officials from the Mayor’s office joined the council to discuss the need for greater transparency on police contracts. Lou Mandarini, a senior advisor to the Mayor, discussed three reform goals, which were police details, overtime costs, and construction flagging.