Massachusetts Police Reform Bill Would Require Officers Be Certified, Ban Chokeholds
BOSTON (CBS) – Gov. Charlie Baker and House leaders are working on legislation for police reform in Massachusetts that could require police officers to be certified and ban chokeholds.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo and State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, the chair of the Black & Latino Legislative Caucus, issued a joint statement saying they hope to have their bill on Baker's desk by July 31.
At his daily briefing Thursday afternoon, Baker confirmed he has also been working with the caucus on his own legislation to create a statewide certification for police officers. According to the ACLU, Massachusetts is one of just six states that does not have a certification or licensing process for police.
"I do believe that what we're going to file will do what I believe a lot of people want to see done - which is to create a process that creates more transparency and accountability, so that the law enforcement officers who are doing the right thing get the training and the benefit of that training, and the opportunity to continue to protect and serve their communities, but there's a very fundamental and explicit process to deal with those who don't," the governor told reporters.
The DeLeo bill would also immediately end police chokeholds, create an independent office of police standards and conduct that would require officers be certified and require officers to intervene if other officers are using unreasonable force.
The proposal also calls for changes to "ensure more opportunity for minority recruitment."
"I hope everybody, at this point, understands that there needs to be more transparency and accountability around law enforcement, and I say that as somebody who is a big believer and supporter," Baker said.
"They do some really important things, and the vast majority of them live up to the oath that they swear. But as we saw with the State Police issues we had, which were more administrative than related to excessive force, there needs to be checks and balances in that system. The legislation we filed with respect to the State Police was designed specifically to address many of those checks and balances, and I hope that legislation finds its way through the process as well."