PAX Centurion - Spring 2019

Page 10 • PAX CENTURION • Spring 2019 617-989-BPPA (2772) Heard on the Hill: Lawrence A. Calderone, BPPA Legislative Agent T he Critical Incident Peer Support Confidentiality Bill, which was signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker at the end of the year and celebrated in, early January with a “mock signing,” was our number one bill last session. As you know, our unified Massachusetts Law Enforcement Coalition Policy Group (“the BPPACoalition”) worked tirelessly to get this important piece of legislation through the House and Senate and onto the Governor’s desk by the end of 2018 and WEWERE SUCCESSFULAGAIN!! There were many variations and changes in language by the House attorneys, as there was some apprehension about the bill by certain organizations. However, after a lot of hard work, numerous conferences with legislators and staff, explanations and re-writes, meetings and negotiations, we (BPPACoalition Group), with the teamwork of the PFFM, Boston Fire, EMS and the Chiefs of PoliceAssociation, along with many of our elected Gov. Baker signs confidentiality / peer support into law W e know that there was a shooting in the early morning on February 22, 2019, in Roxbury, and that one of our own was shot multiple times. We also know that it was a justified shooting and that the career criminal that fired the shots, KasimKahrim, should never have been out on the streets. Despite these facts, Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins has used this incident to take the unprecedented step of putting together a four- person team to assess police shooting investigations. She is calling this four-person group the “Discharge Integrity Team.”According to the Boston Globe, the Discharge Integrity Team will “meet monthly to assess the law enforcement inquiry into the death of 36-year-old Kasim Kahrim.” The concept is mind-boggling! She would have investigators, investigating the investigators, while the investigation is going on. It’s like a Marx Brothers movie plot. Who’s on first? We would hope that this departure from the past practice in police shootings followed by the previous D.A. (which by the way was hailed as a national model) and apparent abrogation of authority is based on sound public safety policy and not a knee-jerk political ploy. Hopefully, she will explain why she is implementing this “team” at this point in time. The Boston Police Department and the men and women of this union have worked too hard to achieve mutual respect and good working relationship with the Community. The lack of outreach by her is very concerning. There should have been more communication and input with law enforcement organizations and other interested parties prior to taking such an unprecedented step. This is especially true since District Attorney Rollins promised transparency and participation throughout her campaign. In response to a questionnaire that the BPPAhad issued about her responsibilities and priorities, Rollins answered stating that she would “work hand-in-hand with law enforcement”. In my opinion, this action is a clear indication that her commitment of cooperation is clearly suspect at this point. I believe we need to keep politics out of decision making on law enforcement Discharge Integrity Team? Keep communication open and politics out of investigations By Lawrence A. Calderone, BPPA Legislative Agent matters. To implement this “Integrity Team” over a good self-defense shooting that put two hard working Boston Police Officers in the hospital is a potentially divisive response to a tragic situation. Although a spokesman for the Boston Police Department was quoted in that same Boston Globe article stating that “as the district attorney goes about familiarizing herself on police involved shootings, the police commissioner is confident the individuals on her team who have a wealth of knowledge will represent themselves in a fair and impartial manner,” she never contacted the BPPAand she neglected to put anybody from the Boston Police Department on her Discharge Integrity Team. On her Team are (1) Phillomin Laptiste, executive director of Dorchester’s Bowdoin Street Health Center, (2) David Meier, chief of the homicide unit under Conley from 1996 to 2008 and now a partner with the law firm Todd &Weld, (3) State Police Detective Lieutenant Robert Murphy, who commands State Police detectives assigned to Rollins’s office, and (4) Retired Superior Court Judge Charles Spurlock, who was also a Roxbury Municipal Court Judge early in his career. The DistrictAttorney should have taken a more deliberate, collaborative and inclusive approach before taking such a radical action. We do not want D.A. Rollins to lose trust from the public safety community. I believe it is best for both sides to work together to insure that the public safety needs of the community are being fulfilled. Now, we can only wait and watch with caution, how her Team unfolds and assesses this most recent discharge incident. We can only hope that it will be done with transparency, professionalism and be free from bias. These are sensitive and potentially inflammatory issues. We also hope that it will not have a detrimental impact on the mutual trust that the Commissioner espouses and we all have strived for throughout our careers. Again, I hope everyone will leave politics at the door when reviewing law enforcement discharges. See Confidentiality/Peer Support Law on page 22