A former member of the Mashpee School Committee has approached state officials about a plan to create local committees that would have oversight of town police departments. The proposal was made in light of revelations regarding police officers who perform their jobs irresponsibly, notably the one recently arrested and charged with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Christopher C. Santos, who served on the school committee for six years, recently sent a letter outlining his proposal for a police oversight committee to Governor Charles D. Baker Jr., Attorney General Maura T. Healey, state Representative David T. Vieira (R-East Falmouth) and state Senator Julian A. Cyr (D-Truro).
In his letter Mr. Santos said the majority of men and women who dedicate their lives to protect the public do a great job. However, there are, he said, those few individuals who become involved in criminal activities, wrongful discrimination “or worse, paint a poor image for the entire law enforcement community.”
“Public image and trust is deteriorating. It’s an incredibly sad state to be in. We must act quickly, but, more importantly, intelligently,” he said.
Mr. Santos noted that most municipalities in Massachusetts assign responsibility for the police department to the town manager or administrator. In Bourne the task falls to Town Administrator Anthony E. Schiavi. Mr. Santos argued that oversight of a police department might be spotty given the vast number of town departments for which the administrator must attend.
He suggested forming a committee made up of the town administrator and a group of elected civilians. Their duties, Mr. Santos said, would include hiring and firing the chief of police; performance review of the chief of police; police force budget management; contract negotiations; and handling of high-level grievances. He likened the police oversight committee to a town’s school committee.
“I envision this committee to be established and act similar to the way the school committee has purview in the school district they represent,” he said.
The town manager or administrator would serve on the committee as a nonvoting member. Creating the committee would give town residents “much-needed representation, a voice and oversight into the local law enforcement,” Mr. Santos said.
“In the current climate it’s obvious that the people want input and diverse local representation,” he said.
The suggestion brought a swift rebuke from Bourne Police Chief Dennis R. Woodside, who called the proposal “a knee-jerk reaction to a problem that isn’t there.”
Chief Woodside said that across Cape Cod and the state there are “top-notch police chiefs,” and each of them “has the right thing in mind” when it comes to policing and dealing with the public. He disagreed with Mr. Santos’s characterization of deteriorating public image and trust and said he sees no value in a police oversight committee.
“It won’t serve any legitimate purpose,” he said.
Paul Rifkin, a Mashpee resident and social activist, said he has attended rallies and demonstrations on and off Cape Cod calling for peace and justice for decades. He said that while the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer revealed an inhumanity by a police officer that was beyond what anyone could imagine, it would be wrong to paint the issue of policing with too broad a brush.
“I think we need to all take a deep breath and take some time to make changes that make sense. Things are too volatile at present to try to restructure the policing of America immediately,” he said.
Regarding the issue of police oversight committees, Mr. Rifkin said he believes oversight is necessary but added that “the devil is in the details.” He offered questions about who would serve on the committee, whether politics might enter too much into the equation and how to prevent “bad people” from serving.
“It will be just as difficult a task as preventing ‘bad’ people from becoming police officers,” he said.
The benefits of oversight, Mr. Rifkin said, could be many. Other questions he raised were the qualifications committee members should have, the types of complaints they would address and who would make the final decision regarding discipline or corrective actions.
“The larger community and police department could be helped as well as the complainant. Increased transparency of the disciplinary process helps all,” he said.
Mr. Rifkin said he has been arrested five times for civil disobedience, but he has never witnessed a police officer act in an unethical or illegal manner. He counts Mashpee Police Sergeant Michael Assad Jr., Falmouth Police Chief Edward A. Dunne and retired Yarmouth Deputy Chief of Police Steven Xiarhos as officers he knows personally.
“These are gentlemen who are ethical and compassionate,” he said.
An email to Sandwich Police Chief Peter N. Wack seeking comment on Mr. Santos’s proposal was not returned.
Officer Chad A. Leighton is the patrolman’s union representative for the Falmouth Police Department. In an emailed response, Officer Leighton declined to comment on behalf of the union after being sent Mr. Santos’s proposal.
“The patrol union has no comment at this time,” he said.
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