ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Surge in child immigrants tied to Central American violence................. pg. 3
Angie Swan pg. 9
FREE
Thursday • July 3, 2014 • www.baystatebanner.com
FREE
City to bus 7th graders over council objections Yawu Miller
(l-r): Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins, Police Superintendent-In-Chief William Gross, Mayor Martin Walsh, Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts President and CEO Darnell Williams, Deputy Fire Chief Andre Stallworth, Darryl’s Corner Bar Manager Mitch Mitchell, NAACP Boston Branch President Michael Curry and restaurateur Darryl Settles. (Ed Geary Jr. photo)
Community fetes new black leaders in police, fire depts. Yawu Miller When Superintendent-In-Chief William Gross joined the Boston Police Department in 1983 as a cadet, crack cocaine hit the city’s streets, guns proliferated and police switched from .38 revolvers to Glock 9-mm pistols to keep up with the arms race. The police needed better relations with the city’s black and Latino communities, where the guns and drugs were centered, but with few people of color in command positions, there was little to work with. “The relationship between the police department and communities of color was very tumultuous,” Gross recalls. Today, Gross is second-in-command in the police department, a
member of the most diverse command staff in the department’s history. Half of the 24 command staff members are women or people of color. And, as Police Commissioner William Evans points out, “There’s a wealth of wisdom and experience there. Everybody’s well respected.” Evans, Gross and much of the command staff were present Monday for a fete at Darryl’s Corner Bar and Kitchen celebrating the new diversity in Boston’s public safety agencies. Gross, Sheriff Steve Tompkins and Deputy Fire Chief Andre Stallworth spoke, as did Mayor Martin Walsh. Police Superintendents Randall Hallstead and Lisa Holmes, and Deputy Superintendents John Brown, Jeffrey Walcott and Michael
Cox were among those present. The shakeup that yielded the diverse command staff happened in the first week of Walsh’s term as mayor when he gave Gross and Evans free rein to build their own team. “What [Walsh] told us is, ‘You guys have a vast amount of experience in this city. Select your own command staff.’ In a very political town, he has not interfered at all,” said Gross. “In one week, we picked the most diverse and most experienced staff in the department’s history. The average number of years served on this command staff is 29.” Walsh, who also spoke during the event, underscored his commitment to diversifying city government. police, continued to page 12
icism from black community groups and civil rights organizations includDespite a bid by city councilors ing the NAACP Boston Branch, the to reject the mayor’s budget for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Boston Public Schools, the school and Economic Justice, the Black Eddepartment’s plan to end bus service ucators Alliance of Massachusetts for 7th and 8th graders went forward (BEAM) and the Louis D. Brown last week with a 7-6 vote. Peace Initiative. The plan, which will save $8 milCritics of the plan complained lion in the department’s $1.2 billion that the plan puts children in harm’s budget, has elicited strident opposi- way by forcing them to travel through tion from parents and parent orga- violence-plagued neighborhoods unnizers in the city’s black community accompanied by adults. who complained that middle school “Our city’s budget should reflect students will not be safe riding the our values, and we should value nothMBTA without adult monitors. ing more than the safety, well-being “I received emails, phone calls, and education of our young people,” text messages said Michael and had faceCurry, president to-face conof the Boston versations with “This new plan will Branch of the h un dr ed s o f make some families N A A C P. “ I people who commend the were concerned choose between a city councilors about the safety school’s quality and who stood in of their chil- their child’s safety opposition to dren riding the this plan, and MBTA without traveling there. No I expect the anyone who is parent need make this mayor to deliver trained to ensure on his promise choice.” their safety,” said to address parDistrict 7 City — Johnny McInnis ents’ concerns.” Councilor Tito Critics also Jackson. “It is said the school unfair for adults department’s to disregard the issues, concerns and plan places an unfair burden on stuperspectives of young people.” dents of color, who they say have to Jackson and the other three coun- travel farther to attend highly-ranked cilors of color – Ayanna Pressley, schools. Charles Yancey and Michelle Wu – “This new plan will make some voted against the budget, along with families choose between a school’s councilors Josh Zakim and Matt quality and their child’s safety travO’Malley. eling there,” said BEAM President The vote was not Mayor Martin Johnny McInnis. “No parent need Walsh’s first schism with the council; make this choice.” earlier in June, Walsh withdrew his In the weeks leading up to the bid to exempt high-ranking city offi- city council vote, school officials cials from a requirement that they live told community residents that the in Boston after facing stiff resistance plan would provide bus service to from councilors. students who face long commutes The school department’s trans- to their schools or who have to busing, continued to page 8 portation proposal drew pointed crit-
Residents weigh in on Whittier redevelopment Nate Homan Representatives from the Boston Housing Authority, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, elected officials and other community members held forums and toured the neighborhood Saturday as they discussed the next steps in the $339 million development of the Whittier Neighborhood Transformation Plan. The project would reshape the landscape of the area, creating new housing units, commercial
development, health and human services. The Boston Housing Authority released a draft of the Whittier Neighborhood Transformation Plan, a HUD-funded project that would rebuild the current 200 affordable housing units and add 353 units of mixed-use housing in the one-square-mile neighborhood flanked by Tremont Street, Melnea Cass Boulevard and Hampton Street. The development now has an estimated 9,300 residents in less than 4,000 units. Whittier, continued to page 11
★★★★★★★★★
The Boston Housing Authority is competing for a federal grant to redevelop the Whittier Street public housing development. The grant would provide more than $300 million to tear down and rebuild public housing units in the area. (Banner photo)
Enjoy the 4th of July Holiday!
★★★★★★★★★