BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said he would act on some of the recommendations from the city’s Police Reform Task Force, including setting up a diversity and inclusion unit in BPD and creating a new civilian oversight group with subpoena power for investigations of officers.
The Task Force, made up of residents, activists and police, released several recommendations for changing BPD. It called for creating an Office of Police Accountability and Transparency with full investigation powers; creating a Diversity and Inclusion unit in the department, expanding the use of body-worn cameras, maximizing transparency and public access and changing BPD’s Use of Force policies so they “articulate clear and enforceable disciplinary code of consequences for violations and infractions and hold the BPD publicly accountable for the violation of these policies.”
Walsh said he would create the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency with a civilian review board as well as a an Internal Affairs Oversight Panel to review internal affairs investigations. He said city officials will hire an executive director to run the new office.
Walsh also said BPD would create a Diversity and Inclusion Unit and he would file a petition with the state to allow BPD to have preference in hiring for local high school graduates. He said police are working toward full adoption of wearing body cameras on all shifts.
(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)