The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer shocked our country and forced a reckoning with racial injustice too long ignored. The work of dismantling systemic racism must include evaluating all legislative proposals and spending with an eye toward equity.

Police reform legislation must address training and accountability. The Danvers Police Department was the first municipal police department in the Commonwealth to achieve National Accreditation, which it attained in 1987. As such, it engages in comprehensive pre-hiring screening, comprehensive training in use of force and duty to report, and sets standards for accountability. Good reform legislation will result in ensuring that every police department in the state adheres to these standards. Chokeholds should be banned and victims of police brutality must have legal recourse. 

As a member of the Danvers Committee for Diversity/Human Rights and Inclusion for the past eight years, I've worked with fellow committee members to confront bigotry, anti-Semitism, racism and homophobia in our community. Through dialogue with our Police Department,  Danvers Public Schools and the Danvers Clergy Association, partnerships and events including the MLK Tribute in January, the Pride Flag raising in June and Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence every July 4 for the past 10 years, we strive to make Danvers a welcoming community to all.