Framingham Mayor, Health Director, & Police Department, Issue Orders To Eliminate Racial Injustice & Promote Equality

The following is a press release and published as submitted to SOURCE.

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FRAMINGHAM – Today, Mayor Yvonne M. Spicer, with the Framingham Board of Health and the Police Department, issued two joint orders – the first to help eliminate racial injustice and the second to promote equality for all in the City of Framingham.

First, Mayor Spicer, in an order with the Framingham Board of Health, joined other cities in Massachusetts by declaring racism to be an emergency and a public health crisis. The order also outlines strategic goals for the City’s divisions to address this important issue through the evaluation of existing policies and practices and detailed data collection to help identify and eliminate systemic racism in the City government and the community in general.

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“COVID-19 and the disproportionate impact of the ongoing pandemic on people of color in Framingham and throughout the country is a painful but an important reminder of the pervasive impact that systemic racism has on our society generally and health outcomes in particular,” said Mayor Spicer. “We are fortunate in Framingham to have a public health effort spearheaded by the Board of Health and our talented Health Department Director, Dr. Sam Wong, who has been at the forefront of trying to address
these inequities over the past several years. This order gives our entire City government a strategic roadmap to deepen the discussion and make significant, meaningful changes toward racial justice for all residents of the City.”

Second, in a joint order issued by Mayor Spicer and the Chief of Police Steven Trask, the City reiterated its commitment to law enforcement practices that minimize physical harm and the reliance on use of
force.

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As highlighted by recent events, including the tragic murder of George Floyd, use of force disproportionately affects the Black community. The joint order sets forth eight operational policies of the Framingham Police Department regarding the use of force that are either already in place or will be instituted immediately and directs the Chief of Police to undertake a further review of the Department’s existing use of force and related policies for additional recommendations within 60 days and to report the results to the public.

“As I have observed and participated in the peaceful protests in Framingham involving residents of all races and ages, I recognize there is a groundswell of change in the air. Our community is ready to move forward and lead the way to confront the issue of police violence and its tragic legacy in our country head-on with community-based solutions,” said Mayor Spicer. “I am pleased with the thoughtful and receptive response we have received from the outstanding officers of the Framingham Police
Department who are fully onboard and enthusiastic partners. I look forward to continuing our dialogue both with the community and with our employees on common-sense reforms to change the societal
dynamic, so we have a City with a true community partnership between law enforcement and all of our residents.”

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