Gov. Charlie Baker announced his administration plans to file new legislation for police reform in Massachusetts.
“I hope everybody at this point understands that there needs to be more transparency and accountability around law enforcement,” Baker said during a news conference that followed a tour of the Greater Boston Food Bank. “I say that as somebody who is a big believer in and a supporter of the law enforcement community.”
The new legislation could require police officers to be certified and ban chokeholds.
“I do believe that what we’re going to file will do what I believe a lot of people want to see done, which is to create a process that creates more transparency and accountability so that the law enforcement officers who are doing the right thing get the right training and the opportunity to continue to protect and serve their communities,” Baker said. “But there also has to be a very fundamental and explicit process to deal with those who don’t.”