All three members of Fall River’s house delegation voted “no” on a compromise police reform bill that passed the legislature yesterday.
State representatives Alan Silvia, Carole Fiola, and Paul Schmid all voted against the bill, which passed the House 92-67. State Senator Michael Rodrigues voted yes on the measure, which passed by a vote of 28-12. The bill now awaits approval or veto from Governor Charlie Baker.
The bill calls for a new commission to be formed with the authority to certify and decertify officers, oversee misconduct investigations and standardize training. The bill bars officers from using “chokeholds” and places restrictions on “no-knock warrants.”
The legislation also calls for further study of making changes to the “qualified immunity” for certified officers. The “qualified immunity” clause has been in place to protect police from lawsuits that accuse them of excessive force. Included in the bill is a provision to strip an officer from “qualified immunity” if he or she has been decertified due to misconduct.
Both chambers approved police reform legislation this past summer in response to the instances of police abuse, highlighted by the killing of Geroge Floyd in May. Representative Silvia, a former Fall River police detective, says he voted against the bill because it contained measures he feels are anti-law enforcement.
Representative Silvia went on to say that police reform is needed, just not in the form of the current bill.
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