The Committee continues to grapple with BPD BRIC straight pride public records requests:

• They received a large quantity of supposedly unredacted records from BPD, but a considerable amount of redactions remain. The Committee is likely to file a motion to compel release of records. Without access to proper information, it’s difficult to identify potential plaintiffs within the statute of limitations. The Committee continues to work hard with this in mind. 

MAAPL Cases:

• Two cases are pending at SJC (use & occupancy case, and statute of limitations case): both cases have been argued, now looking for amicus support. The Committee has been asked to provide support to the NAACP to focus on disparate racial impact of the laws at issue in these two cases. But as the cases have been argued, deadlines have presented themselves as a potential concern. Staff lawyer, Doug has agreed to take the lead on this project. NAACP local chapter is on board with this plan.

Chemical weapons ordinances:

• The Committee is still looking for new city councilors to reach out to. Potential target cities include Medford, Northampton, Amherst. Also want to target bigger cities like Springfield, Worcester, New Bedford. Worcester City Councilor, Thu Nguyen, has shown potential interest. 

Police badges project:

• The Committee has made public records requests and while getting department policies back relatively quickly, the same cannot be said of records of complaints. For example, New Bedford PD is attempting to charge $7500 for their complaint records. Of course, this is being appealed. The Committee is also working to appeal the lack of cooperation with regard to the requests.