Cambridge Police Issue Statement Following the Death of George Floyd and the Actions It is Committed to Taking

The Cambridge Police Department joins the Cambridge community in processing, mourning, and enduring the trauma associated with George Floyd’s death, and the underlying impetus behind it. We grieve and stand with George Floyd’s family and community. We believe that the responsible individuals should be held fully accountable, and we support and encourage a full criminal investigation by any state, local or federal agency with jurisdiction or authority to do so.

George Floyd’s death is the most recent reminder of the racial injustice that exists in our nation. At all levels of government and in all corners of our community, we must actively work to undo institutional racism and racial injustice in our society. 

At the Cambridge Police Department, we constantly critique, analyze how we do things, work to find solutions and identify best practices that most effectively meet the needs and ensure the safety of the Cambridge community. While we aren’t always perfect, we will always work hard to improve.

We wanted to use this opportunity to provide an overview of some of the ways we are investing and working towards to improving through action:

There are a number of noteworthy trainings that CPD has been at the forefront of across the region and country. We were the first and among the first in the nation to introduce Trauma-Informed Training, Anti-Bias Training, and ICAT (Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics) Training. Our Officers undergo these in addition to regular training on de-escalation techniques, mental health, diversity and inclusion, fair and impartial policing and police legitimacy. 

https://camb.ma/2TMGppP
https://camb.ma/3etzZnw

As an extension, CPD was committed to implementing procedural justice into the training of new officers while adhering to state curriculum requirements. With that, we partnered with Northeastern University and launched our own new Police Academy in 2019, in which all elements of the Academy experience are aligned with the four pillars of policing: fairness, voice, transparency, and impartiality. 

https://www.boston25news.com/news/in-cambridge-a-new-approach-to-training-future-police-officers/965906091/

We were the only department in the Country to  provide training on Historical Injustice and Present Policing (HIPP) led by The Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project (CRRJ), the Institute on Race and Justice (IRJ) and the George Ruffin Society (GRS) at Northeastern University. The training was designed to generate a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the Police’s role in historical racial violence as it contributes to Intergenerational Trauma in certain Communities; promoting trust between the Department and the community.

Beyond training, we have looked at our own structure and have introduced a brand-new Office of Procedural Justice. The Office is focused on proactively monitoring data relating to police-citizen interactions for indications of possible racial profiling and racially-biased policing (including use of force incidents) as well as assessing the Department’s compliance with statutes, ordinances, and regulations aimed at mandating accountability. We are in the process of working toward implementing a public-facing dashboard that will provide near real-time updates as to differences in how the Department treats the Public:

https://spark.adobe.com/page/VAoWuR08wYjwV/

Quality training and structure need responsible and just Policies and Procedures. We feature a number of them on our website, including our Use of Force policy.

https://www.cambridgema.gov/~/media/Files/policedepartment/Policies/4001useofforcefinal.pdf

Lastly, Police Officers -- by the very nature of the work they perform -- are exposed to an inordinate amount of human tragedies and behaviors that create stressors they must deal with everyday of their professional careers. In addition to these external stressors, there are also aspects of their personal lives that can compound those stressors.  To support our officers, CPD provides a number of services to aid in their well being and help them more effectively and compassionately serve the public: https://www.cambridgema.gov/cpd/communityresources/officerwellness

We hope this begins to give the community a sense of the culture of the Cambridge Police Department and our commitment to fair and just, community policing in Cambridge. If there is anything that we can support you with during this difficult time in our country, please let us know.