With Cambridge voters heading to the polls this Tuesday, both candidates and residents are focused on public safety and policing.
Since the police shooting of 20-year-old Sayed Faisal in January, these issues have taken center stage in local politics.
Faisal’s death happened amid a wave of high-profile police shootings nationwide, stirring up protests from activists, groups calling for police abolition, cultural and religious communities, and many locals.
The city experienced months filled with demonstrations, disruptions at City Council meetings, a week-long protest outside City Hall, and even an occupation of the building.
The candidates running for City Council hold differing views on how policing and safety should be handled going forward.
A Closer Look at Cambridge Police
On Jan. 4, a 911 caller reported that Faisal-who was a Bangladeshi American college student living in Cambridge-was harming himself with a knife and broken glass. When officers showed up, he ran away leading to a foot chase through Cambridgeport until several officers cornered him in someone’s backyard.
Faisal then approached CPD officer Liam Mc Mahon – who has been with the department for eight years – holding his knife out. After a nonlethal sponge round failed to stop him (which was fired by another officer), Mc Mahon shot Faisal fatally.
Last month District Attorney Marian T. Ryan released the full investigation report. The judge overseeing the case, John F. Coffey from Massachusetts District Court, said Mc Mahon’s actions were “objectively reasonable” so there won’t be any charges against him.
Since then the city has pushed reforms around policing and public safety including setting up a procedural justice dashboard, boosting staffing for its Community Safety Department (which it funds), and looking into body cameras for officers-a practice Cambridge hasn’t had but nearby Boston and Somerville do.
After releasing the report last October, City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 said Cambridge plans to keep working with the Police Executive Research Forum-a group of police chiefs that reviewed CPD’s practices-and share what they find publicly.
Walking towards the Cambridge Police Station, protesters hold signs demanding justice after Sayed Faisal’s death along with Tyre Nichols’, both killed by police earlier this year. By Cam E. Kettles
The Candidates’ Positions on Policing
In March all sitting councilors except E. Denise Simmons (who voted present) and Paul F. Toner (who opposed) supported funding HEART-the community-based emergency response team-from money provided by the American Plan Act aimed at shifting some 911 calls to them eventually.
Simmons and Toner are seeking re-election but don’t mention HEART or other alternatives to police response on their platforms publicly.
The four other incumbents running again – Burhan Azeem, Marc C. Mc Govern, Patricia M. “Patty” Nolan ’80, and Sumbul Siddiqui – all backed funding HEART back in March; Azeem, Mc Govern, and Nolan also support HEART openly online.
The Council unanimously approved funding for another alternative safety group-the Community Safety Department-in 2022; it works within emergency services but isn’t part of CPD.
Candidates Ayah Al-Zubi ’23 and Dan Totten spoke out after Faisal’s case came out during an event where Totten criticized how big Cambridge’s police budget is:
“Instead of learning from what happened in January,” Totten said,”City Manager Huang chose to double down on the failed institution of policing.”
Al-Zubi as well as mayoral aide Adrienne Klein and candidate Federico Muchnik want more money put into HEART programs too.
“It’s important to ‘build empathy for our communities,'” Al-Zubi told us.
“This connects not just with policing but mental health care access too – stigma around mental health plays a part,” she added.
The topic has been heated during campaigns: At a Harvard grad student union forum in September candidate Cathie Zusy spoke out supporting CPD despite Faisal’s death:
“I do think if he had stayed in his house it would have been private,” Zusy said.“I think it was appropriate for police to respond.”
Zusy praised CPD’s reputation saying they “do pretty good work.”
This got pushback from incumbent Marc C. Mc Govern:
“It doesn’t matter to his family that the Cambridge Police Department is nationally known,” he said.
“They lost their son, and no parent should ever have to bury a son.”
Carrie E Pasquarello wants public safety improved by focusing more directly on cutting violent crime & fentanyl overdoses. She’d like bigger special investigation units & cybercrime training within CPD. She argues current council isn’t really tackling violent crime enough.
By Julian J Giordano
A Shift Toward Alternative Public Safety Measures
Corinne Espinoza co-directs HEART. She says most current councilors back their work, but upcoming elections could change things:
“A new City Council – whether mostly same people or some new ones – could help HEART by holding city manager accountable,” Espinoza explained referring to March policy orders.
Liz M Speakman runs Community Safety Department. She told us having alternatives is necessary here:
“The city heard people asking for unarmed responders especially for mental health calls or unhoused folks-that’s really needed.”
Liz also believes officials should stay transparent, fair, and open-minded:”All elected officials need flexibility plus willingness to ask themselves ‘Is this actually working?’”
Espinoza didn’t name specific hopefuls but stressed candidates must see that “there are basically two Cambridges”: one wealthy area like biotech hubs versus areas where people struggle just meeting basics.
“A councilor represents everyone-not just those doing okay,” she added.
<A councilor needs principles,” Espinoza said,“and must visit places where people feel ignored by city services,to find out what's needed.”
Liz Speakman feels hopeful that whoever wins will be supportive about alternative safety programs:
“Come January when new council starts, we’ll see what happens. I’m confident whatever new folks get picked-we’ll bring them onboard.”
Corrections: November 3rd 2023
An earlier version wrongly called Liz M Speakman interim director; she is actually director.
An earlier version mistakenly said Liam Mc Mahon fired nonlethal sponge round-it was another officer who did so.
– Staff writer Ryan H Doan-Nguyen can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ryandoannguyen or Threads @ryandoannguyen.
– Staff writer Yusuf S Mian can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @yusuf_mian2 or Threads @yusuf_mian.
Source link
