Growing up near Albany, New York, this son of a public school teacher first became politically active in high school, where he advocated for increased school budgets and progressive school board candidates. A longtime activist and leader, he spent twelve years as the chair of the Watertown Democratic Town Committee. In 2016 he was elected to the Democratic State Committee, where he helped the party enact reforms to increase voter participation.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts must combat systemic racism in order to right historical wrongs. This includes taking steps to reduce violence and institutional discrimination, and expanding access to quality health care, affordable housing, decent schools, and accessible transportation for communities of color.
Now is also the time to rethink public safety more generally. Police response is appropriate and necessary to prevent and respond to violent crime. But for years, police departments have served as overburdened first responders for every type of conflict, from domestic disputes to arguments over unleashed dogs in public parks.
Cambridge and Watertown have spearheaded common-sense criminal justice reforms, like implementing non-jail diversion programs and having police officers work side-by-side with social workers and mental health professionals.
Real public safety should focus on social intervention and smart, effective solutions that allow police to combat crime while ensuring that society respects the dignity of all its citizens, rather than spending the state’s valuable resources furthering a destructive culture of incarceration.