BOSTON (WHDH) - In maintaining his commitment to making Boston a national leader on police reform and creating sustainable systemic change, Mayor Martin J. Walsh on Monday signed an ordinance creating the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency.
The office creates a single point of public access to a new standard in police accountability and community oversight, and it will house and support the newly created Civilian Review Board and the Internal Affairs Oversight Panel, according to Walsh.
“Now is the time to act with urgency to dismantle systemic racism across our city. The Office of Police Accountability and Transparency will support lasting, generational change by rooting out impropriety and ensuring the type of enhanced oversight that leads to greater community trust,” Walsh said in a news release. “This is an important milestone, but it’s only the beginning. I thank the Task Force members for their dedication to engaging the community to create comprehensive recommendations that will deepen our progress towards equity in Boston.”
In June, Walsh announced the formation of the Boston Police Reform Task Force, which was charged with reviewing Boston Police Department policies and procedures, and presenting recommendations for reform.
The four main areas of review were use of force policies, implicit bias training, the body-worn camera program, and the Community Ombudsman Oversight Panel.
The creation of the OPAT was a central recommendation from the Task Force, which issued their final recommendations in mid-October. Walsh is currently in the process of reviewing and implementing all of the additional recommendations.
Boston Police Reform Task Force Chairman Wayne Budd and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross joined Walsh as he signed the ordinance during a virtual ceremony.
“Our success is rooted in the bonds we create with the community and the trust we build through those relationships,” Gross said. “The creation of the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency will ensure we are living up to the ideal standard of community policing.”
Budd added, “I look forward to seeing how the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency enhances equity and allows the community to have greater confidence in the integrity of policing.”
Walsh noted that the city is in the process of searching for an executive director to lead the OPAT.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)