Other New Initiatives Include Review of Police Policies, Formation of Diversity and Inclusion Task Force
Mayor James J Fiorentini will visit a Lafayette Square youth center Monday afternoon to discuss race relations and meet at-risk teens and young adults working to improve their lives for a better future.
The mayor’s upcoming visit to Leaving the Streets Ministries is among a series of meetings, conversations and policy reviews he has initiated in the wake of recent Black Lives Matter protests in Haverhill and across the county amid a new emphasis on race relations and policing sparked by high-profile instances of police brutality against black people.
This morning, for the first time in city history, the mayor issued a proclamation and raised the Pan African flag at City Hall to recognize June 19 as Juneteenth Day to commemorate the day in 1865 that Union troops arrived in Texas to inform enslaved people that slavery was done, brining to fruition the promise of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation two and half years earlier.
Mayor Fiorentini also took the President Obama pledge this week to review police use-of-force policies and to engage all communities in that review prior to making changes.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Fiorentini announced his plan to form a Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion to develop more effective ways of recruiting minorities for the police and fire department and in city government, in addition to initiating an internal and outside examination of police policies.
“We have been working for some time to recruit more young people and minorities to be on city boards, commissions and in city government,” the mayor said. “But we would like to find new ways to speed up this process and recruit more qualified applicants.”
The mayor said Haverhill Police Department has previously adopted many of the policy reforms and priorities being advocated nationwide, but that he is planning the internal and outside review of those policies to determine if they meet best national practices.
“We believe they do — but we want to make sure they do,” he said of existing police policies. “We will also be seeking public input and we will be holding a special Mayor/City Council meeting next week to discuss and get input before launching this reform initiative.”
Haverhill Police Department Policies can be found on its website at: https://www.haverhillpolice.com/about-us/policies-and-procedures.php
Jesus Ruiz, president and founder of Leaving the Streets Ministries, said he invited the mayor to meet with the organization’s youth because he wants them to learn about the mayor’s history and strong commitment to civil rights. Ruiz, a former gang member who spent time in prison, said explained his ministry is dedicated to helping at-risk youth avoid gangs and drugs and instead stay in school and find better avenues that lead to a brighter future.
“I want to meet with more young people, minorities and people who are not normally heard in city government to hear their input, their ideas and most importantly, hear about their interaction with the police,” Mayor Fiorentini said of Monday’s planned visit to Leaving the Streets Ministries.
Mayor Fiorentini also recently met with Black Lives Matter protesters who have been holding signs outside the police station in recent weeks. He has invited the protesters to a second meeting and is anxious to hear more of their ideas and get their input.
Contact: Chaplain Jesus Ruiz, Leaving the Street Ministries: 978-332-2470
