Coalition calls on Boston Police to cut ties with harmful federal programs, change policy

Since Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, Boston officials have come out strong in defense of immigrants, Muslims, and other marginalized groups that find themselves in the crosshairs of the new administration. But key Boston Police Department policies and programs put these communities at risk of federal targeting.

Today, a group of over two dozen Boston area civil rights, civil liberties, religious, and human rights groups call on the BPD to recognize that these policies and programs—which have long conflicted with Bostonian’s rights—are even more dangerous in the age of Trump, and therefore must be changed. The federal administration has changed the relationship between government and the people, and the City of Boston must adjust accordingly—not only in rhetoric, but also in action.

Key among the demands to BPD are the following:

Disengage from an existing “countering violent extremism” program and do not engage in CVE programs in the future;
Change BPD policy to stop the collection and sharing of information about people who are not suspected of crimes;
Cease collaboration with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) (as San Francisco has recently done); and
Support the Safe Communities Act at the state legislature.