By JULIE CUNNINGHAM and CHRIS COLLINS
(Boston, MA) – State legislators are preparing to debate a bill which could radically change how police departments operate in Massachusetts.
The “Reform, Shift, & Build Act” introduced this week in the Massachusetts Senate would create a new system for tracking the activities and operations of law enforcement. Among the changes offered under the bill are creation of police oversight boards, new community outreach and training standards, and a public data base to log complaints against police officers.
The act also eliminates, qualified immunity for police officers, which means they can be sued for conduct that violates the new standards, and sets a statute of limitations of up to four years from the date the violation is reported, and not than six years after the violation is committed. It also establishes specific definitions of what constitutes a violation and the basis for a civil course of action.
It’s not known when the bill may come up for a debate on the Senate floor. A similar measure is expected to be filed in the House.
A copy of the bill can be read in its entirety at this link.