Walk and Talk Subcommittee Task Force On

*DRAFT VERSION -- This report will not be finalized until after the public forum in mid-February* The Task Force to Reimagine Policing Walk & Talk Subcommittee Final Report Date I. Introduction A. Mission This subcommittee will specifically examine the role of the Brookline Police Department’s (BPD) Walk & Talk (W&T) program. It will analyze what function the program serves, what net benefit it provides Brookline Housing Authority (BHA) residents, and the interactions of the officers with Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) residents and visitors. B. Members Bonnie Bastien - Subcommittee Chair Kimberley Richardson Anne Weaver C. Initial Questions ● What are the BPD’s objectives, as well as the BHA’s objectives, for the W&T Program? ● Does the program accomplish its objectives? ● What are the BHA community’s experiences of, and perspectives on, the W&T program? ● Why does the W&T program focus on “relationship-building with youths” at BHA and not in the other communities of Brookline? ● Is the program necessary? If not, do the benefits outweigh the costs? ● What specific services do W&T officers provide? ● Is it possible for another service to better serve the needs in this community? II. Walk & Talk Program History As stated on the W&T page on the BPD website, “The officers assigned to the Walk & Talk unit, within the Community Service Division, are the main liaisons between Brookline Housing Authority (BHA) Administrators, personnel, and residents, and the police department. The goals of the Walk & Talk program are to make the officers approachable to the residents and vice versa, help them become familiar with the dynamics of housing life and to identify any residents in need of assistance. Through a combination of foot patrol, bike patrol, motorized patrol and attendance at community meetings/events these officers are highly visible to the residents.”. In 1992, the W&T program was started by then Lieutenant Daniel O’Leary, Detective Mark Morgan, Chief Simard, and Brian Cloonan (Exec. Dir. of the BHA at the time). It was the beginning of a shift toward a new community policing strategy. Community policing is a law enforcement approach whose objectives are to reduce fear and concern about crime and improve satisfaction with police service by having police officers staying in close contact in the neighborhoods they serve (see “Community Policing” defined by the National Police Foundation). It has been stated in our Task Force conversations by now former Chief Daniel O’Leary that the W&T program was initiated in order to create positive relationships between police officers, residents, and youths so that not all interactions with officers are “bad”. He described this work as “building bridges”. The BPD website goes on to explain that through making the officers highly visible to the residents of the BHA, residents will become more trusting and willing to speak with the officers in order to alert them to potentially developing problems, report crimes, and to inform officers about happenings within the properties. In our research to understand the objectives of the W&T program we found that in the almost 30 years of the program’s existence there has never been a contract or MOU written between the BHA and the BPD stating agreed upon objectives. The BPD’s objectives are described on their website (noted previously). There is no mention of the W&T program anywhere on the BHA website as a service provided or resource available to the residents. The only mention is in a post documenting a summer event. The officers are mentioned as attendants. There are no stated objectives for the program on the BHA’s end. In our interview with Mathew Baronas [see Appendix B] he stated that before the program was started the BPD noticed that there were BHA residents that were repeatedly getting put into the criminal justice system. The BPD offered a way to help diffuse and divert situations to help residents avoid the criminal justice system. He called the W&T officers “a part of the social service fabric” and states that their goals are the BHA’s goals which are “to help residents overcome their disadvantages to be able to thrive.” It has also been found that there has never been a formal assessment of the impact of the W&T program from either the BHA or BPD or from the perspective of the BHA residents receiving the service. The subcommittee found that there has been an annual payment to the BPD of $15,000 that comes from the BHA’s operating budget in return for the W&T program since the early days of the program. There is no documentation of an agreement or what that payment is used for, though it has been stated in Task Force conversations with BHA administrators that that money began as a payment to the BPD to help supplement the officers’ overtime. It is unclear what it is used for most recently. III. Research Process A. Literature Review The subcommittee reviewed peer-reviewed academic articles and websites related to community policing and community-based supports and services. The focus of the literature review was to gain an understanding of the historical impacts of community policing, as well as research and advocacy on community-based police programs and the impact, if any, on people living in affordable or public housing. We used this research to shape our interviews and our recommendation priorities. See Appendix A for more details. B. Interviews Administrative Interviews 1. December 16, 2020. Interview with W&T officers Pilgrim, Stephenson, and Lawlor. The interview focused on the W&T officers' day-to-day experiences and activities in the program, their relationships with BHA residents, and the purpose and goals of the program. 2. January 19, 2021. Interview with Matthew Baronas, Director of Property Management for the BHA. The interview focused on the history of the W&T program, overview of present-day W&T program, resident perspectives on the W&T program, and annual payment of $15,000 given to BPD for W&T program. 3. December 16, 2020. Telephone conversation by Bonnie Bastien with Michael Alperin. The interview focused on the history of the W&T program, annual payment of $15,000 given to BPD for W&T program; surveillance cameras, and BHA safety issues. BHA Resident interviews 1. Jan. 24, 2021. BHA Resident 1 - Notes from a phone conversation on W&T program in BHA 2. Jan. 24, 2021. BHA Resident 2 - Notes from a phone conversation on BHA and policing 3. February 1, 2021. BHA Resident 3- Notes from a phone conversation on BHA and W&T program. Brookline Resident Interview 1. Dec. 11, 2021 - Dec. 12, 2021. Brookline Resident 1- Testimony taken from a social media post on W&T program in BHA 2. Jan. 26, 2021: Brookline Resident 1: Focus of interview was on policing in Brookline and public safety, particularly for BIPOC. See Appendix B for full interviews. C. Task Force Community Survey Responses Data analysis from the 2020-2021 Task Force to Reimagine Police Departmental Analysis 1 subcommittee survey of 25,000 Brookline residents found that Latinx and Black residents of Brookline were 8-9 percentage points more likely to have had a negative experience with the BPD than white or Asian residents, and less likely to report having had a positive experience (p. 5). On the survey question on whether the BPD helped to feel safe in the community, 4% of Black respondents felt unsafe, 7% of Asian respondents felt unsafe, and 16% of Latinx respondents reported feeling somewhat or mostly unsafe (p. 6). 1 See https://www.brooklinema.gov/DocumentCenter/View/23435/hersh_survey_report for full survey data and analysis. In addition, survey data showed a marked difference on respondents’ perceptions of racial discrimination by Brookline police. While barely any white respondents (0.5%) felt they had been discriminated against by BPD officers, members of other racial groups and ethnicities reported greater perceptions of discrimination. Five percent of respondents who identified as Asian reported feeling discriminated against by local police, while 12% of Latinx respondents reported discrimination, and, significantly, 24% of Black respondents reported feeling discriminated against by BPD officers (p. 7). Finally, a significant percentage of survey respondents preferred community crisis workers to respond to non-violent crisis situations instead of police responders, except in domestic violence cases. The report stated: “In responding to someone experiencing a mental health crisis or is suicidal, 4% think the police should respond, 83% think social service workers should respond and 12% think both should respond. In dealing with a homeless person, 5% think the police should respond, 88% think a social service worker should respond, and 8% think both should respond. In dealing with a dispute among neighbors or a disorderly minor, 23% think police should respond, 64% think a social service worker should respond, and 13% think both should respond. In dealing with a case of domestic violence or abuse, 42% think the police should respond, 26% think social service workers should respond, and 31% think both should respond. In most of these scenarios, particularly those that are noncriminal, the public overwhelmingly favors social service workers responding rather than police.” (p. 11, boldface added) D. Police Reform Committee Survey of Walk and Talk Program The Select Board’s Committee on Police Reform (a different committee then our Task Force) developed and mailed out a survey to residents of BHA properties asking for their experiences and opinions of the W&T program. The survey data was analyzed by a Town of Brookline staff member and relevant data to this subcommittee’s charge is presented here.

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