(Combined Sources)
(Framingham, Massachusetts) As police chiefs from across the state gathered in Framingham yesterday to express dismay and concern over two police reform bills going through the House and Senate, fears that Massachusetts lawmakers will rush the process through July 31 grow. Both bar officers from using crowd control measures like tear gas and rubber bullets except under life threatening situations. Both require officers to intervene and report excessive use of force by other police officers, and both create independent oversight boards for police conduct. The Senate version weakens qualified immunity for police officers by shifting the standard away from clearly established constitutional violations, while the House bill does leave qualified immunity for police officers largely intact. Police chiefs are calling the legislation rushed, especially because the Senate Reform, Shift, & Build Act passed without public hearing.
“The legislation in the House and the Senate are nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to the events happening hundreds of miles away from here,” said Hampden police Chief Jeff Farnsworth, president of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association.
Safety concerns for police officers and fears of weakened application pools also colored the protests yesterday.
“The legislation at a minimum will diminish the pool of candidates who wish to become police officers,” said Farnsworth. “It will also cause our current officers to hesitate at times that are most critical for them not to, jeopardizing their own safety and the safety of our residents,” he said.
Farnsworth said the better training for police officers and a certification system is something the Police Chief’s Union supports, but overall the union does not support either bill going through the house or senate. Right now, Massachusetts is one of only a few states trying to create a statewide certification system for law enforcement.