Page 2 - Metro Record May 2021

Hampden Superior Court Judge

Orders Mayor Sarno to Appoint

Civilian Police Commission

After years of ignoring city If implemented, those civilian
ordinance, and the wishes of a Springfield residents, who are
predominantly Black Springfield appointed by the mayor, have
City Council, a Massachusetts the authority to hire, fire, and
judge has ordered City of discipline Springfield police
Springfield Mayor Domenic officers. The police chief would
Sarno to appoint members to the oversee the day to day
Springfield Police Commission operations of the department
"without delay" to the panel that instead of a sole commissioner
would oversee the city's police The order also comes after having all this authority like
department. numerous calls from community there currently is.
leaders for the city to terminate
This ruling comes after the the contract with current Police Superior Court Judge Francis
Springfield City Council voted in Commissioner Cheryl Flannery strongly ordered that
favor of adopting a police Clapprood. "For the past 40 "Mayor Sarno must without
commission twice, both of which years, she has been a part of this further delay and in good faith
Mayor Sarno vetoed. department," said Reverend endeavor to identify and appoint
Talbert Swan at a recent press qualified individuals to serve on
The Springfield City Council conference on the steps of the Board of Police
took it a step further and voted to Springfield City Hall. Swan, a Commissioners.” "[I]f there
authorize two attorney’s to file nationally recognized and strong were a conflict between [Sarno's]
litigation against the city to advocate for social change, authority ... and the City
enforce the council’s vote on stated "for the last decade she Council's authority to reorganize
establishing a civilian board of has served in a leadership a department, the conflict was of
police commissioners. capacity with the Springfield the mayor's own making,"
Police Department. She is part Flannery wrote.
of the reason we have come to
this impasse with corruption and Springfield City Councilor and
brutality in the department." State Representative Orlando
Ramos also responded to the
The Council is hopeful that the court’s ruling. In a statement to
Police Commission will do a the Metro Record he said: As
much more effective job in Chairman of Public Safety, I am
providing some sort of oversight very happy with the court’s
over both the Springfield Police decision on this matter. I have
Department and Clapprood, who voted in favor of the civilian
City Council President Marcus herself has a marked and Police Commission Ordinance
Williams stated "Today's questionable history with the several times; in fact, it was the
decision is a great day for the city department. very first piece of legislation I
of Springfield and I am proud to attached my name to when I was
be serving as President, at the In July, the DOJ released a first elected to public office in
time of this historic rendering. I scathing report based on an 2013. I did so because I believe it
am very proud of my colleagues investigation of the police is a system which would allow
who supported this ordinance department’s narcotics unit that for more accountability; and it is
and stuck to their convictions. covered a two-year period. It in line with the reforms many of
This historic decision will lead to found members of the unit often us have been fighting so
a healthier police department, assaulted and punched suspects vehemently to implement within
better relations with our in the head and neck and the Springfield Police
communities of color and bring routinely escalated Department.
accountability and reform to our confrontations to
police department. This unconstitutional levels of Tom Lesser, an attorney working
landmark case should not be violence. pro bono for the City Council,
viewed as Mayor Sarno vs. the called the decision "a great
Springfield City Council but victory.” "The decision fully
rather as an opportunity for the The start of a police board would validates the council's authority
city to heal and grow. I urge the mean the elimination of a single to reorganize the city's police
Mayor to accept the court's police commissioner role and department — which it's been
decision and I am hopeful he will instead, the Springfield Police attempting to do since 2016,
develop the framework to Department would have a police while the mayor has sat by and
implement the Police chief with a board that would ignored the ordinances passed,"
Commission.” have five civilian commissioners Lesser said.
on it.