"Straight Pride Parade” and Counter-Protest Information

On January 22, a community meeting on police-community relations following the "Boston Straight Pride Parade" & Counter-Protest was held to gather additional public comment. The Draft Report on Community Feedback is now available online and open for public comment. The City is continuing to work on a number of initiatives following these events as noted in the City Response Memo, and will now begin efforts to respond to input gathered at the meeting as well as via other mean.

Scroll down for a timeline of events, view reports, and submit a comment on the draft report.

Saturday, August 31, 2019	“Straight Pride Parade” and Counter-Protest
August 31, 2019-~mid-September	Multiple statements, posts, etc. issued by Mayor, City, and SPD via multiple channels (media, social media, website, etc.) acknowledging seriousness of events, requesting information, promising a full review, and that the review and any follow-up actions would be shared publicly
September 2, 2019	SPD review process launched
September 12, 2019	116 residents submit joint letter to City Council re: the role of the Somerville Police in Boston's Straight Pride Parade on Aug 31.
September 12, 2019	SPD Chief provides brief update to Council on events of August 31, 2019
September 18, 2019	Public Hearing Co-Hosted by City and City Council: 20+ residents provide testimony
September 18, 2019	Pre- and Post-Public Hearing direct discussions open to all hearing attendees held with Mayor Curtatone Chief David Fallon: approximately 20 participate in pre- and post-hearing discussions combined
September 20, 2019 - ongoing	SPD, Mayors Office, and City staff launch specific efforts to address concerns and requests raised at hearing and elsewhere (and concerns of our own) (e.g., researching/planning Citizen Oversight models, gathering information on asset forfeiture sources, outreach to D.A. Ryan’s office to request info on asset forfeiture policies, planning for further opportunities for resident input/dialog, review of mutual aid procedures, etc.
October 24, 2019	Update on After Action Report submitted to City Council
November 14, 2019	After Action Report and Memo from Administration completed and submitted to City Council and posted online
September 20, 2019 - ongoing	SPD, Mayors Office, and City staff undertake efforts to address concerns and requests raised at hearing
January 22, 2020	Community Dialogue: Next Steps for Police-Community Relations Following “Boston Straight Pride Parade” & Counter-Protest
Week of February 10, 2020	CBI will document and share with City and community the input and questions gathered at January 22 meeting
NEXT STEPS	City, Mayor’s Office, and SPD will review, share responses to questions, and report back on expected follow-up actions to community. There may be multiple steps and actions, and they will be informed by previous community input as well as that gathered today at the Jan. 22 meeting. · Formally launch effort to establish citizen oversight. · Continue to research asset forfeiture practices of D.A.’s office to inform next steps

After Action Report 11/14/2019

View After Action Report

City Response Memo 11/14/19

View City Response Memo

Draft Summary of Community Feedback

This Draft Report on Community Feedback was prepared by the Consensus Building Institute (CBI). The goal of this report is to summarize the proceedings at a January 22, 2020 forum on police-community relations in Somerville, and chronicle feedback provided by community participants in the forum as accurately and concisely as possible. The comments, ideas, and recommendations in this report come entirely from participants at the community forum. They do not reflect ideas or recommendations from CBI. The report itself is not intended to offer a verified factual record nor an exhaustive study of all the concerns or perspectives of stakeholders generally, but rather the accounts, statements, and opinions voiced by those participants who were present during the discussion. Any errors and omissions in this report are the sole responsibility of CBI. Comments from meeting participants about any inaccuracies or omissions are welcome and should be sent to Toby Berkman at tberkman@cbi.org.

View the Draft Summary

Comment on the Draft Summary

Asset Forfeiture Data

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Programs & Initiatives

HP 12C calculator alongside a stack of coins

Technical Assistance Programming

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School Construction Advisory Group (CAG)

Members will develop a recommendation to the Mayor on both the location and scope of a renovated or new school to meet the needs of the Winter Hill Community Innovation School and potentially the Benjamin G. Brown School.

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