New England Policing News
Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association Executive Director Sid Wordell Joins Press Event on Strategic Response to Fentanyl Crisis
Source: John Guilfoil Public Relations
PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association Executive Director Sid Wordell joined federal, state and public health officials last week to address the fentanyl crisis and the importance of provisions included in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
related to the fentanyl crisis.
Wordell joined U.S. Senator Jack Reed, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, and experts and researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health on Thursday, Jan. 19 to share ongoing efforts and
advocate for collaborative action to combat the fentanyl crisis.
The Rhode Island Police Chiefs' Association has new leadership - here's who is at the helm
Source: Providence Journal
Author: Katie Mulvaney
BRISTOL – Bristol Police Chief Kevin M. Lynch has taken the helm as the incoming president of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association. The association installed a new leadership team at a ceremony Jan. 13 at Roger Williams University, where Lynch is an alumnus. Chief of the Bristol Police Department since 2019, Lynch has a 35-year career in public service, including serving as a commander of the Cranston Police Department.
Others inducted into the association's 2023 executive board team are Warwick Police Chief Bradford Connor, as vice president; Woonsocket Chief Thomas F. Oates III, as sergeant-at-arms; Cranston Chief Michael J. Winquist, as secretary; and South Kingstown Police Chief Matthew Moynihan, as treasurer. Former Little Compton Police Chief Sid Wordell will continue to serve as executive director.
Is police reform working in Massachusetts?
Source: wgbh.org
Author: Adam Reilly
It's been two years since a landmark police-reform law went on the books in Massachusetts, spurred by a nationwide wave of protest following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
The new Massachusetts law contained a multitude of significant provisions, including the formation of a new civilian-led oversight agency; the prohibition of chokeholds; and the creation of a duty to intervene if one officer sees another using force inappropriately.
By now, though, it's become evident that not all of those provisions are being executed as envisioned. Talking Politics host Adam Reilly is joined by two of the law’s architects, state Rep. Russell Holmes and former state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz, and Tanisha Sullivan, the president of the NAACP’s Boston branch, to discuss what’s working when it comes to statewide police reform and what still needs to be done.
https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2023/01/20/is-police-reform-working-in-massachusetts
https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2023/01/20/is-police-reform-working-in-massachusetts
Former Maine police chief releases memoir about husband’s battle with mental illness
Source: WABI-5
Author: Alyssa Thurlow
Maine (WABI) - Lisa Beecher, a former chief of police at the University of Southern Maine and retired detective at the Portland Police Department has released a memoir chronicling her husband’s battle with mental illness. If you or someone you know has experienced mental or emotional trauma, Beecher says, this book will make you feel seen. The book has been praised by mental health professionals and law enforcement officers across the state.
Public safety department plans to launch statewide crime ‘heat map’ dashboard
Source: VT Digger
Author: Sarah Mearhoff
As part of a widespread plan from the executive branch to curb crime in Vermont, the state Department of Public Safety is poised to launch a public dashboard identifying communities with the highest volume of police calls. The department is already using the map internally, and top officials say a public launch is intended to give Vermonters a transparent view of public safety concerns in near-real time.
The Council on Policing Reforms and Race has Released its Report and Recommendations
Source: National Policing Institute
Earlier this month, the Council on Policing Reforms and Race officially unveiled more than fifty research-informed recommendations to help address some of the most pressing issues facing policing and public safety. These recommendations can be used as a roadmap for policymakers, political officials, police executives, and community leaders interested in enhancing public safety. The National Policing Institute convened the Council as an independent body to identify opportunities for policing reforms with a focus on addressing racial disparities. The Council includes young people, community members, business and faith leaders, law enforcement leaders, and researchers.
The Council’s recommendations related to traffic stops, mental health and substance abuse, body-worn cameras, community-based violence prevention, the culture of policing, fines and fees, policing in schools, and other important aspects of policing. Read more about the Council’s work, including what is known about these issues, further research needed, and recommendations on the Council's website.
https://www.councilonpolicingreforms.org/report-at-a-glance/