Bill > H3479

This bill establishes a special commission to investigate and study ways to prevent police officers from using undue force, which refers to excessive or unnecessary physical force. The commission will be comprised of members from the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate, including representatives nominated by minority leaders, the Commissioner of Public Safety or their designee, the Colonel of the State Police or their designee, and seven members appointed by the governor. These governor-appointed members will include representatives from law enforcement associations like the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association and the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, as well as experts in undue force, police brutality, civil disobedience, and representatives from organizations such as the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and the New England Area Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The commission's work will involve reviewing current police tactics in Massachusetts and other states that might increase the risk of undue force or police brutality, identifying and analyzing methods that reduce this risk, and ultimately making recommendations for future policing practices in the Commonwealth.