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 @ISIDEWITHNewsUnited StatesMassachusettsReformaccountabilityGovernor Maura HealeyState Police•••1yr ago

Massachusetts State Police Under Scrutiny: Calls for Reform Intensify

Massachusetts is facing a critical moment as calls for reform within the State Police grow louder. Following a series of controversies, including a trooper's crude text messages coming to light during a high-profile trial, the pressure is on Governor Maura Healey to enact meaningful change. State Sen. William Brownsberger highlights the 2020 police reform law, designed to increase accountability, as a step in the right direction. Governor Healey has promised more information 'soon' on her choice to lead the State Police, signaling potential leadership changes ahead. Critics argue that true reform requires a break from traditional practices, advocating for an external candidate to bring fresh perspectives and restore public trust in the force.

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 @ISIDEWITHlinked…1yr1Y

Healey: More “Soon” On State Police Leadership

https://whdh.com

Gov. Maura Healey on Monday promised more information “soon” on her pick to lead the Massachusetts State Police, amidst renewed calls for reform at the

 @EnragedUn1onAnarchism from Indiana  commented…1yr1Y

The situation with the Massachusetts State Police is a stark reminder of how deeply systemic issues run in law enforcement agencies. It's clear that the so-called reforms are often just band-aids on a bullet wound, doing little to address the root of the problem. The idea that bringing in an external candidate could be the solution seems hopeful, but it's not enough if the underlying culture of impunity and lack of accountability remains unchallenged. Governor Healey's promise of 'more information soon' is frustratingly vague and all too familiar; we need action, not…  Read more

 @R3dStateAllisonLibertarian from Michigan  commented…1yr1Y

Massachusetts really needs to focus on trimming down the State Police's power and bureaucracy instead of just shuffling the deck chairs with these so-called reforms.

 @FinickyJackrabbitProgressivefrom Guam  commented…1yr1Y

It's high time Massachusetts seriously tackled the systemic issues plagining our State Police. Bringing in an outsider to lead could be the breath of fresh air needed to finally instill real accountability and restore trust among the community.

 @ISIDEWITHasked…1yr1Y

What changes would you make to improve an organization that has lost public trust?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…1yr1Y

Do you believe new leaders should come from inside or outside an organization to enact real change?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…1yr1Y

How would you feel if someone you trusted was found to be acting dishonestly?

 @ISIDEWITHlinked…1yr1Y

More details ‘soon’ on State Police leadership, Healey says

https://bostonglobe.com

The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security says it’s close to picking a final applicant as the next superintendent and colonel of the agency.

 @ISIDEWITHlinked…1yr1Y

As calls mount for reform: Can the Mass. State Police be saved? | John L. Micek

https://masslive.com

State Sen. William Brownsberger, D-Suffolk/Middlesex, one of the architects of the police reform law passed in 2020 in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, said he thinks language in the law increasing accountability for rogue officers is part of the solution.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…8mos8MO

Europe on Edge as Critical Cables Severed Near Nord Stream Blast Zone

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Tuesday said "nobody believes" that two broken telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea were "accidentally cut.""We have to conclude, without knowing exactly who did it, that it is a hybrid action and we also have to assume — without knowing it — that it is sabotage," Pistorius told reporters in Brussels on the sidelines of a Council of the European Union meeting.The Finnish network company Cinia said Monday it was investigating a broken undersea internet cable running between Santahamina near Helsinki and Rostock in Germany — in a submarine incident that sparked political alarm in Berlin and Helsinki.The 1,173 kilometer-long cable follows a similar route to the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream gas pipelines, which exploded in September 2022 in an apparent act of sabotage.Also speaking on the sidelines of the meeting in Brussels, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said: “We are now investigating what has happened. We have good capabilities through all of this to investigate what has happened and who has been there.”Finland’s Europe Minister Joakim Strand called the incident "concerning.""Our authorities together with the companies are proactively investigating the case. The telecommunications have been re-routed to back-up connections and practical impacts have been minimal. The cable of course will be repaired. It is too soon to speculate on any causes but of course this is concerning," he added.The suspected case of sabotage comes as European foreign ministers, meeting in Warsaw on Tuesday, warned that Russia is “systematically attacking” Europe’s security architecture.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…8mos8MO

Horror in Northern Gaza: U.S. Questions Israel After Civilians Slaughtered in Residential Attack

An Israeli strike on a residential building in northern Gaza killed dozens of people early Tuesday, the territory’s emergency service said, in the latest attack to cause mass casualties in the area since Israel renewed its offensive against Hamas in the north.The Palestinian Civil Defense, the emergency service, said at least 55 people were killed in the strike in the town of Beit Lahia. Gaza’s health ministry said at least 93 people were dead, including 25 children. The Israeli military said in a statement that it was “aware of reports that civilians were harmed” in the town and was looking into the details.Matt Miller, a U.S. State Department spokesman, called the strike “a horrifying incident with a horrifying result” and said the Biden administration had contacted the Israeli government to ask what happened.Israeli forces renewed their offensive in northern Gaza this month, saying they were trying to stem a regrouping of Hamas, the militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking the war in Gaza.The strike comes days after another Israeli attack on a residential block in Beit Lahia that left dozens of people killed or wounded, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense. The Israeli military confirmed the strike on Sunday, saying that the air force had “conducted a precise strike” targeting Hamas fighters.An overnight Israeli airstrike hit another residential building in the town on Oct. 20, killing dozens of people, Palestinian officials and emergency workers said.Roughly 400,000 people remain in northern Gaza, according to the United Nations, and many have been trapped in their ruined neighborhoods.

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Active 19hrs ago

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…8mos8MO

Death, Denial, and Silence: Inside China’s Push to Bury Zhuhai’s Devastating SUV Attack

Outside the sports center in the southern city of Zhuhai where a 62-year-old man had plowed an S.U.V. into a crowd, killing at least 35 people, workers on Wednesday quickly removed bouquets of flowers left by grieving residents. Uniformed police officers and officials in plainclothes shooed away bystanders and warned them not to take photos. At hospitals where patients were taken after the attack — at least 43 more people were injured — local officials sat outside the intensive care units, blocking journalists from speaking with family members.On the Chinese internet, censors were mobilized to delete videos, news articles and commentaries about the attack. Almost 24 hours had passed before officials divulged details about the assault, which happened on Monday, including the death toll. Their statement offered limited details, and they have held no news conferences.The response was a precise enactment of the Chinese government’s usual playbook after mass tragedies: Prevent any nonofficial voices, including eyewitnesses and survivors, from speaking about the event. Spread assurances of stability. Minimize public displays of grief.The goal is to stifle potential questions and criticism of the authorities, and force the public to move on as quickly as possible. And to a large degree, it appeared to be working.Though many residents of Zhuhai, the city of 2.4 million where the attack happened, were clearly shaken, they said on Wednesday they had not questioned the delay in information, attributing it to the government’s need to first sort out what had happened. A steady stream of people arrived by foot or taxi to lay flowers at the sports center’s entrance, but when officials took away the flowers and told the people not to linger, they quickly complied.Local governments have also vowed in recent months to spend more time screening for people who have experienced “failures,” after a spate of violent attacks, including several cases in which schoolchildren were stabbed.But officials were also clearly on the lookout for any deeper scrutiny of the Zhuhai killings. Videos and photos of the scene of the attack showed only as grayed-out squares on Weibo, a social media platform. Blog posts urging people not to treat violent attacks as isolated incidents, but rather to look deeper for potential social causes, disappeared.

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