Boston Police Demands

Mayor Marty Walsh, City Council President Kim Janey and Commissioner Gross

Black and Brown Bostonians have experienced a total erosion of our constitutional rights after generations of racist policing. Families for Justice as Healing demands systemic change to policing in Boston, toward our long-term goal of removing police from our communities. Police are the first point of contact with the criminal legal system for our members, and the reason women and our families wind up on jail and prison bunks. While we are organizing against the most harmful policing practices and fighting to shift resources from policing into our communities - we are also doing the work to create ways of preventing, responding to, and healing from harm without police and prisons.

1-Cut the total Boston Police Department budget by at least 10% annually

2-Establish a Community Fund to be housed in a Black-led community organization and distributed through a Black and Brown Community-led participatory budgeting process starting with $41.4 million in FY21 and increased annually.

3-Disband the Youth Violence Strike Force known as the “Gang Unit” and end plain clothes policing in Boston

4-Erase the Boston Gang Database

5-Shut down the Boston Regional Intelligence Center and pull out of the Joint Terrorism Taskforce

6-Pass a Boston City Ordinance to prohibit pretextual vehicle stops. “Pretextual” means stops with the intended purpose of conducting an investigation without probable cause, justified by an alleged motor vehicle infraction like a tail light out.

7-Pass a Boston City Ordinance to prohibit pretextual pedestrian stops (Field Interrogations) more commonly called “Stop and Frisks.” “Pretextual” means stops with the intended purpose of conducting an investigation without probable cause, justified by something like how or where someone is walking.

8-Remove police from Boston Public Schools - including Boston School Police and Boston Police Department officers

Petition by
Elijah Patterson
Roxbury, Massachusetts

To: Mayor Marty Walsh, City Council President Kim Janey and Commissioner Gross
From: [Your Name]

​Black and Brown Bostonians have experienced a total erosion of our constitutional rights after generations of racist policing. ​Families for Justice as Healing demands systemic change to policing in Boston, toward our long-term goal of removing police from our communities. Police are the first point of contact with the criminal legal system for our members, and the reason women and our families wind up on jail and prison bunks. While we are organizing against the most harmful policing practices and fighting to shift resources from policing into our communities - we are also doing the work to create ways of preventing, responding to, and healing from harm without police and prisons.

1-Cut the total Boston Police Department budget by at least 10% annually

2-Establish a Community Fund to be housed in a Black-led community organization and distributed through a Black and Brown Community-led participatory budgeting process starting with $41.4 million in FY21 and increased annually.

3-Disband the Youth Violence Strike Force known as the “Gang Unit” and end plain clothes policing in Boston

4-Erase the Boston Gang Database

5-Shut down the Boston Regional Intelligence Center and pull out of the Joint Terrorism Taskforce

6-Pass a Boston City Ordinance to prohibit pretextual vehicle stops. “Pretextual” means stops with the intended purpose of conducting an investigation without probable cause, justified by an alleged motor vehicle infraction like a tail light out.

7-Pass a Boston City Ordinance to prohibit pretextual pedestrian stops (Field Interrogations) more commonly called “Stop and Frisks.” “Pretextual” means stops with the intended purpose of conducting an investigation without probable cause, justified by something like how or where someone is walking.

8-Remove police from Boston Public Schools - including Boston School Police and Boston Police Department officers