Police Accountability
Police brutality and misconduct is disproportionately experienced in communities of color. LCR has successfully litigated police misconduct cases, and we have a successful track record of negotiating the implementation of cultural competency and implicit bias training in response to incidents of racial profiling. Social science research confirms that diversity is a critical component of decreasing the tension between communities of color and public safety agencies. LCR implements a multi-prong approach to promote and strengthen community policing such as challenging the failure to hire qualified candidates of color (bypassing); monitoring residency requirements for public safety jobs; and advocating for linguistic diversity in public safety agencies (language certification).
Coleman v. Boston Police Dep’t (federal lawsuit for the fatal shooting of an unarmed young Black man by the Boston police)
Boston Police Dep’t v. Gaitor (administrative appeal to defend a finding that BPD failed to notify applicants for the position of police officer of their legal appeal rights, violating due process)
Morgan v. Boston Police Dep’t. (challenging the arbitrary and discriminatory use of criminal history records in hiring)
News and Resources
May 09, 22
Black Youth File Racial Profiling Complaint Against Medford Police DepartmentFeb 23, 22
Ahmaud Arbery Verdict Highlights Gaps In Local Hate Crime EnforcementFeb 17, 22
Barnstable Sheriff’s Entanglement With Federal Immigration Officials IllegalJan 27, 22
Statement on Fall River PoliceJan 13, 22
Applauding Boston’s Vaccine MandateJan 05, 22
Colossal Failure: Qualified Immunity CommissionNov 19, 21
Statement on Kyle RittenhouseOct 25, 21
Open Letter To Boston’s Mayoral Candidates On Civil Rights PrioritiesSep 13, 21
Barnstable County Sheriff’s Immigration Entanglement is IllegalSep 10, 21
Victory! Sheriff Ends Entanglement With Federal Immigration OfficialsAug 03, 21
Body Cavity Searches Trigger Lawsuit Against Federal OfficialsJul 29, 21
Summer JusticeJul 07, 21
Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against Police in Needham, Mass.Jun 01, 21
Civil Rights Investigation of the MBTAApr 27, 21
Safe Protest Fact SheetApr 21, 21
Statement on Derek ChauvinApr 16, 21
Accelerating Police ReformsApr 09, 21
Springfield Police Lacks Accountability, Transparency & Diversity