“Policing & Racial Justice in Westwood” Forum Held On July 30

A community forum entitled “Policing & Racial Justice in Westwood” was held on July 30, 2020 via Zoom, featuring Westwood Police Chief Jeffrey Silva and Westwood Town Administrator Chris Coleman. Neighbors in Action, Inclusive Westwood, and the League of Women Voters Westwood/Walpole/Dedham sponsored this forum. Coleman and Silva were asked prepared questions, and were then asked questions submitted by community members.

The Zoom forum was opened by “Policing & Racial Justice in Westwood” committee member Maryann Wattendorf. Fellow committee member Joshua Ames asked the prepared questions. “How does the [Westwood Police Department] ensure transparency in policing? Specifically to which local, state, or national agency does the WPD report data related to police activities? Are WPD policies and data regarding occurrences and demographics of police interactions (stops, calls, and outcomes –warning, citation, arrest etc.), uses of force, and uses of body cameras publicly available?”

“Transparency is a buzzword,” said Chief Silva. He continued by discussing how policing in Westwood has changed since he became chief in 2013. WPD used to use a reactive policing model, and under his leadership it has changed to a community policing model.

Silva pointed to the fact that Westwood’s police cruisers no longer say “Call 911” on the back, but rather the town motto as a symbol of this change. He explained that WPD emphasizes knowing the town’s residents, and residents knowing their police officer. Silva also pointed to changes in WPD’s hiring practices to have a larger pool. Westwood now participates in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).

Silva emphasized that the idea of “use of force” is nuanced. He gave the example of sending a police cruiser to a loud party that was reported by a neighbor. The act of a police cruiser just showing up might cause the attendees to quiet down, creating a use of technical force.

“Body cameras are an issue of broad conversation by the public, but not used by Westwood police,” said Chief Silva. He gave the example of a neighbor calling in a domestic disturbance. If the police officer responding had a body camera on, the reporting neighbor could request the body camera footage under MA statute 66 and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Coleman later clarified that body cameras are subject to the police union’s collective bargaining agreement.

The next topic was accountability. “Would you please describe the specific processes (i.e., how, to whom, etc. ) by which complaints regarding inappropriate use of force are made, reviewed, and documented. Is this information reviewed and disseminated to the public or public facing organizations?” Silva pointed to the fact that under his leadership, he has changed to complaint procedure to not just have complaints in person. He noted that there have only been two complaints in his time in Westwood. All complaints are sent to the Select Board as well as the police department.

“Would you please discuss what training and practices have been implemented to address bias and how WPD assesses the effectiveness of these policies and practices. Are data used for these assessments routinely reviewed and disseminated to the public or public facing organizations?” Silva noted that anti-bias training is woven into the police academy. He once again emphasized that residents knowing their police force is important to the police department. Silva pointed out that he reviews the police log and citations.

All candidates for the Westwood Police Department must also undergo a psychological exam. Ames later asked if this was common, and Silva said that it was. Silva added that under Massachusetts state law, candidates for employment are forbidden from taking a lie detector/polygraph as a condition of employment.

Coleman noted that the Implicit Bias training is required and a part of police academy training for full-time officers. Silva agreed, noting that forty hours of that training is required.

Silva added that the use of force continuum is no longer used in response to the question “Would you please discuss the WPD’s philosophy on the application of non-lethal use of force (UOF) including: how UOF is defined, incident prevalence in Westwood, de-escalation trainings offered to officers, and applicable WPD policies and/or procedures (e.g., officer duty to intervene, verbal warning requirements, etc.).” He added that chokeholds have been banned in Massachusetts for over thirty years. Silva noted that many changes in force happened in 2013-2014, following the shooting of unarmed Black man Michael Brown by Ferguson, MO police officer Darren Wilson.

“Would you please describe in detail the role of the WPD resource officer and the WPD in our schools? What is the role of the WPD in the broader community especially as it pertains to mental illnesses, drug addiction, domestic violence, homelessness, and other health and/or social issues? What partnerships are in place between the WPD and community organizations to address these health and social issues? Are data regarding demographics, types and outcomes of police interactions in schools and the community gathered and reviewed by public facing organizations and available to the public?” Silva noted that the main goal of WPD is “no call too small.” Silva noted that Westwood’s School Resource Officer (SRO) mainly spends time in Thurston Middle School and Westwood High School. However, the SRO also does things such as D. A.R.E., bullying education, and seatbelt safety in Westwood's five elementary schools.

Silva noted that although not required, Westwood Police Officers are trained in mental health first aid. He added that police officers are often called to mental health emergencies. (Note: Westwood is served by the Riverside Crisis Team, and their phone number is 800-529-5077).

“What is your vision for the future of policing and racial equality in Westwood and are there any specific areas you would like to improve as it pertains to ensuring policing and racial justice? Is a robust review of WPD policies, procedures, rules and regulations planned to determine whether there are areas for potential improvement? If so, would such a review be open to public input and participation?” Silva noted that he supports a diverse police department, hiring Westwood’s first two Black police officers, as well as supporting other officer’s diverse identities. For example, one officer is a member of the Gay Officer’s Action League.

Silva noted that the only time a member of the Westwood Police Department has shot their service revolver is in the incident where Officer William Sheehan was killed in 1975. He noted that data from the tasers carried by members of the WPD are uploaded to the cloud, and report how many times it was used.

Wattendorf then asked questions from the audience. These questions could either be submitted via email prior to the event or by using Zoom’s Q&A feature. The first question* was “As you may know a few years ago, there was an issue where a Westwood resident called the police over a Black man walking down their street. How do you plan on addressing any possible such racism/use of policing by Westwoodians going forward?”

Silva responded that “policing begins the minute they pick up the phone.” He noted that officers can discuss with the caller why they find a person suspicious (for example, do they only have three neighbors, all whom are out of town, and this person is not one of them). He credits this sort of questioning as part of a paradigm shift.

Next question was surrounding the role of police unions in Westwood. Silva responded that officers were allowed to unionize and he had many great officers who were members of the Westwood Police Association.

Wattendorf’s next question was from someone asking if there would ever be a town-wide survey on policing in Westwood. Silva said there was no plan to, but he reviews the police log and calls residents to follow up. “I’ve had many conversations in High Street Market,” he laughed.

“Have any of your officers taken part in “warrior training?” Asked the next question. Silva noted that such trainings are being discussed by the public owing to current events such as George Floyd’s murder. He said that it was typecast as combat military training, and some components of that training are valid. “Someone who is trying to kill you is a war [-like situation],” he noted.

Similarly, the next question was if Westwood had any military-type equipment. Silva paused to explain the difference between an armed vehicle (one with guns) and an armored vehicle, which would be bulletproof. Westwood has neither of these, but has access to them through regional police departments.

“Since the SRO job is not primarily law enforcement, would the Chief and Town Administrator agree to talk about replacing the SRO with a specially trained social worker or the equivalent?” was the next question. Silva clarified that the School Resource Officer has a unique job, and their clothing is different from other officers to show this fact. He added that with the rise in school shootings after the Columbine School shooting, SRO’s are important to be present. He argued it was not an either/or, that SRO’s are important for security and safety.

Coleman asked if this was a part of Community Policing, and Silva replied that it was.

The final question was “What Black organizations does the WPD have relationships with? How do you make sure you connect with [People of Color] specifically, when trying to create relationships in town that you talked about? What is the racial breakdown of the department.” Silva replied that “I make relations with anyone I can, I am in the people business.” He noted that the changes which he has implemented led to more female and Black hires. He said that he believes in the dignity of all people.

Silva closed by discussing that WPD is seeking accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program.

*This was the version of the question which I submitted.