The Massachusetts legislature just sent long-awaited police reform legislation to Gov. Baker. It limits police use of force, creates a POST (police oversight) system to hold officers accountable for misconduct, makes having school resource officers a decision for school superintendents, and finally regulates racially-biased and dangerous face surveillance technology.
Can you please [email/call] Gov. Baker right now to urge him to sign the bill?
These basic protections are long overdue and come not a moment too soon. We also welcome the bill’s provisions to regulate face surveillance. Without safeguards in place, this racially-biased technology can track and target people remotely based on their biometric features. It harms over-policed communities of color, and threatens civil rights and freedom of speech.
While we did not get everything we wanted, one measure of the bill’s reforms is police pushback — they’re bombarding lawmakers with phone calls. We urgently need to generate a high volume of contact to Gov. Baker ASAP in support of the bill to counteract the intense police pressure. Time is short. The Governor has the next 10 days to sign, veto, or send the bill back with amendments, and he might act even sooner.
Suggested Email Message to Gov. Baker
To: charlie.baker@state.ma.us
Clicking the link above will compose the email below in your mail client.
Subject: Please sign the police reform bill (S.2963) without delay
Dear Governor Baker,
I write in strong support of the police reform legislation on your desk, and its provisions that will establish police oversight, transparency, and limits on the most violent use of force tactics.
I also want to express particular support for Section 26, which will regulate government use of facial recognition technology in Massachusetts. This pragmatic measure protects privacy, racial justice, due process, and the integrity of the criminal justice system by allowing for law enforcement use of facial recognition in serious criminal investigations, while preventing unwarranted government surveillance of people going about their daily lives.
It is urgent for the Commonwealth to establish basic standards and guardrails for the use of this unregulated, racially biased, and dangerous technology. Please sign the full bill into law as written.
Respectfully,
Name & Address
Suggested Phone Script for Calls to Gov. Baker
“Hi my name is [NAME] and I live in (CITY/TOWN). I’m calling to ask Governor Baker to sign police reform bill S.2963. Among other important provisions, it will create a police oversight commission, set standards for use of force, and limit the use of face surveillance technology. Please sign this legislation into law without delay. Thank you.”
