On Sept. 23, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis officially announced his resignation, stating it was time to pursue other opportunities and that he would leave office within 30 to 60 days. With Mayor Thomas Menino stepping down, Davis added he wanted to announce his resignation prior to the election of a new mayor to ensure it wasn’t perceived as a political move.
In recent months, Davis had come under intense criticism for the lack of diversity within the police force. In August, the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers called on Davis to resign for failing to promote officers of color to leadership positions and higher ranks. Liberation News takes a further and critical look at his seven years at the helm of the Boston Police Department.
BPD was one of the first departments in the country to implement a pilot of the now nationwide anti-immigrant “Secure Communities” program. The program is a racist and anti-immigrant collaboration between local police and ICE. The pilot, known at the time as an “interim Data Service Model” was a test run of a system that has led to widespread racial profiling, the detention and deportation of millions of immigrants who have committed no crime.
BPD history of racist violence
The BPD has a long history of racist brutality and violence in the city’s Black and Brown communities. Since 2006, when Davis became Commissioner, six people have been killed by Boston Police officers, five of whom were shot to death. There have been dozens of other police-involved shootings and instances of brutality and misconduct.
In August 2012, Boston police shot and killed 26 year-old Burrell “Bo” Ramsey-White. The internal investigation has yet to be completed and the department has refused to even name the officers involved. Following the shooting, Davis went on a public relations campaign slandering Ramsey-White’s character in an effort to deflect attention off the department. Ramsey-White’s family and loved ones have been demanding answers and are waging an organizing campaign to demand answers and justice.
While millions of dollars have been paid out through settlements in civil lawsuits, not a single instance of police violence has led to either internal discipline or criminal charges being brought against the officers involved. In fact, in January, several notorious officers were given awards by Davis.
Officer Christopher Carr was given the department’s Medal of Honor for shooting and killing Mark McMullen in September 2011. Carr was one of many Boston cops who broke department regulations and disobeyed commands by pursuing McMullen out of the city’s limits and into Rockland, Mass. Carr claimed he was in danger of being hit by the vehicle and was clear of any wrongdoing. All of the evidence suggests, however, that McMullen was unarmed and the vehicle had come to a stop. In fact, the rear and driver’s side windows shot, which is incompatible with Carr’s claims.
During the same awards ceremony, officers Brian Dunford and Michael McManus were also honored for their so-called years of service. In March 2008, Dunford falsely arrested and brutally beat Black Boston firefighter Wayne Abron. In October 2010, McManus was one of several officers who video taped beating a 16-year old at Roxbury Community College. In June 2008, McManus was also one of two officers who violently arrested college student David Woodman during a Boston Celtics celebration. Woodman subsequently died as a result of his injuries sustained during the arrest.
Attacks on civil liberties
Suppression of political activities and attacks on civil liberties became a hallmark of Davis’s tenure. The National Lawyers Guild and the American Civil Liberties Union uncovered evidence that Boston police were illegally spying on anti-war and Palestinian solidarity activists in 2009. Documents obtained through an FOIA lawsuit filed by the organizations showed that the Boston Regional Intelligence Center had labeled non-violent political activities as “criminal” and “domestic terrorism.” During the Occupy movement of 2011, nearly 200 demonstrators were unjustly arrested during two large and violent raids on the encampments. The Partnership for Civil Justice has obtained documents from the federal government showing that the Boston Police was one of many local departments that participated in a nationally coordinated crackdown on the Occupy movement.
While some have praised Davis for his so-called leadership after the April bombing at the Boston Marathon, others have taken a more critical approach to his response. On the afternoon of the bombing, Davis emphatically, yet incorrectly, stated at a press conference that a third bomb had gone off at the JFK library in Dorchester, despite reports at the time that it was an unrelated fire. ays later, Davis was key in orchestrating the unprecedented lockdown of the entire city that ordered everyone to “shelter in place.” Since then, Davis has made national headlines and testified before Congress. Recently, his name has been floated in the media for consideration for the still-vacant Secretary of Homeland Security.
The above should serve as an indictment of Davis. Wherever his career path may take him, Davis should not be promoted to a national post, but rather be exposed and confronted for his anti-immigrant policies and attacks on civil liberties. While his resignation is welcomed, Davis should have been fired a long time ago and criminally charged for impeding internal investigations and defending killer cops. With the election of a new mayor comes the appointment of a new police commissioner. A new face, no matter who, will undoubtedly fail to address the systemic issues causing racial profiling and police brutality. An organized movement in communities across the city is the only force capable of empowering neighborhoods to end stop-and-frisk, prevent police violence and create the independent control over the police required for winning justice.
