Mayor Spicer’s Tuesday Zoom Call: From Marches To Action Part II

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FRAMINGHAM – For the second Tuesday in a row, City of Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer will focus her community hour Zoom call on “From Marches to Action – What is Next?”

Last Tuesday, June 9, Mayor Spicer invited the Somerville Mayor, the Framingham Police Chief, and the outgoing President of the high school’s Black Student Union for a discussion on what next after the marches.

On June 3, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone made a “declaration of a local state of emergency officially deeming systemic racism a threat to public health and safety.”

The Somerville Mayor has called for the ‘establishment of an independent, civilian oversight structure of the Somerville Police Department with membership representative of the community’s diversity.”

Framingham’s City Charter called for the creation of a Police Advisory Committee, to provide oversight and review of the Framingham Police Department. Mayor Yvonne Spicer nominated seven individuals to the Committee, which held its first virtual meeting on Thursday night.

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The Somerville Mayor is also calling for “submission of a resolution to the City Council reiterating the critical need to implement body-worn cameras in the Police Department, an initiative the City has been pursuing with police union leadership since 2015.”

The Somerville Mayor has created a 10-point plan for dealing with racism and police reform.

SOURCE asked Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer questions about the police department on Monday, June 8.

The news outlet asked: ” I am requesting a statement on where you specifically stand on defunding or re-organizing the police department. Will you submit a proposal to the City Council? Do you think the Framingham Police need changes in light of the discussing about police across America?”

As of 9 a.m. Saturday, June 13, Mayor Spicer has not responded.

Mayor Marty Walsh declared racism a public health crisis in the City of Boston, this week.

In Framingham, the police department’s budget is almost $17 million of a $289 million city budget. There were several signs calling for budget reform by the 800-plus protesters on Sunday.

The City Council will vote on Mayor Spicer’s recommended police budget this month for fiscal year 2021, which starts July 1.

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UPDATED: Earlier this week, District 2 City Councilor Cesar Stewart-Morales made a motion to delete $85,000 from the police budget that had $200,000 for police cruisers.

That District 2 Councilor also made a motion to not allow the department to purchase cruisers in fiscal year 2021 for the police department. It also passed in a split 6-5 vote.

To join Mayor Spicer’s webinar visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86443959067?pwd=eWNZbE5HUU9DNVVTd3N0QUQrekxQUT09
Password: 551456

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Or iPhone one-tap : US: +16465588656,,86443959067#,,1#,551456#  or +13017158592,,86443959067#,,1#,551456#

Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 558 8656  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 669 900 9128  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799
   
Webinar ID: 864 4395 9067
Password: 551456
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbdAZ5mtLI

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Editor’s note: report was updated at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday, June 14. The District 2 Councilor said his motion was to eliminate $85,000 from the police budget. SOURCE has updated this report to reflect this.

Councilor Stewart-Morales stated on June 22 to clarify the correction posted: “The reader is led to believe that the Council’s vote to reduce the police department budget actually provides more money for them to spend. They have $200,000 less to spend than they did in the Mayor’s proposal. You are choosing to view the cruiser line item as separate from their operating budget. The Chair of the Council and the CFO both commented that night that they were indifferent to viewing the cruiser line item as part of the operating budget. This item is not in the capital budget, it is in the operating budget. I agree with them.”