Boston Pours Millions into Fighting Diversity in Policing

The City of Boston has spent more than $2.3 million fighting against the efforts of the Lawyers’ Committee and our allies to help diversify the Boston Police Department. In an era of scarce resources, it is fiscally irresponsible to continue to pour millions of taxpayer dollars into fighting diversity. Much of the money has been spent defending a drug test that courts have found to be scientifically unreliable and discriminatory against African-Americans.

The City’s continued fight against diversity undermines public confidence in its commitment to community representation and inclusion. The absence of diversity contributes to the growing tension between law enforcement and communities of color.

At the Lawyers’ Committee, we believe that taxpayer dollars should not be used to subsidize discrimination. We know that diversity is a critical component of community representation and accountability. And we have a message for those who think they can’t be held accountable: Not on our watch!

The expenditures were featured in the Boston Herald and Boston Globe.