SOMERVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - The mayor of Somerville has declared systemic racism a public safety emergency and said he is taking steps to abolish it.
“Like so many Americans I’m outraged and saddened by the killing of George Floyd,” Mayor Joseph Curtatone said.
Curtatone is channeling his outrage to take bold action in addressing the crisis that has overtaken the nation.
“When black Americans are three times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans, I think that is a symptom of a real crisis,” he said.
Curtatone is planning a series of reforms including police body cameras, civilian review boards and a special state prosecutor to investigate police wrongdoing.
“I can’t tell you how many times whether it’s the city of Somerville, in this commonwealth, where police wrongdoing is not fully able to fully investigated because it dies in the district attorney’s office in the district courts or some arbitrator makes us fight years to get an officer out of the ranks,” he said.
The mayor said his reforms will be in line with initiatives put forth by Representative Ayanna Pressley and other leaders of color. He noted that the coronavirus pandemic has also exposed economic and health inequities.
“The disease is making black Americans and other vulnerable populations sicker than the rest of us.”
Curtatone said that he believes most rank and file officers in his department are also outraged and want reform as well.
“Our neighbors, black people who live in our community, poor people who live in our community, look at us and ask us what are you going to do about it,” he explained. “We want you to be as angry and upset as we are. We want you to take action and that’s what we’re trying to do here.”
Mayor Curtatone said he does expect pushback. He’s asking every mayor, city councilor and local official to join in the fight.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)