Newton Mayor Agrees To Use $200K Of Police Budget To Review Dept

NEWTON, MA — In response to recent outcry among residents to rethink the city's police department, the City Council sent a resolution to Mayor Ruthanne Fuller asking for $200,000 from the proposed police budget to be used to perform a full analysis of the department.

On Monday night, the mayor agreed to do just that.

"I am revising the Fiscal Year 2021 budget I have proposed to the City Council," Fuller said Monday night in an online address. "I will move $200,000 from the police cruiser replacement line item in the police budget to the Mayor’s Office. These funds will allow the Newton Police Reform Task Force to have the option of hiring a facilitator or a consultant to further their work."

The request comes as the city and the state face striking loss of revenue. The mayor released the 2021 $440 million operating city budget earlier this month and the City Council has until June 25 to approve it. The school and police department’s proposed budgets were both increased from the previous year. The police department's budget is $147,025 more than last year's budget, for a total proposed budget of $22,951,778.

The resolution proposes taking $200,000 from the police budget to use in "a bottom up analysis of the police department, done through the lens of racial justice, and the treatment of all minorities and with the goal of reviewing the delivery of public safety services in this city, an initial report by December 31, 2020 to reorganize and reimagine policing in our city to best meet its needs."

The resolution, signed by Councilors David Kalis, Vicki Danberg, Susan Albright, Jake Auchincloss, Andrea Downs, Josh Krintzman, Rebecca Grossman appeared in city postings Friday, the day after a Newton Group asked the City to cut the police budget by 10 percent.

Fuller said Monday she is calling for a re-imagining the police department.

"We will see in the coming months the budgetary implications," she said. "Let’s decide first what we want to do and then budget accordingly."

Although the mayor gave few details about next steps, she did praise the work of the police department and officers.

"Most grew up in Newton and all of them love this community," she said. "Their commitment to just, fair, safe, unbiased and respectful community policing is deep. I am proud of them and their tradition of answering the call. The rank and file and the leadership of the Newton Police Department condemn the actions of the Minneapolis police officers that killed George Floyd. They also believe in continuous improvement and their input in this review process will be critical."

Read more:

• $440M Newton Budget: Cuts, But Not 'To The Bone ...
• Newton Fiscal Year 2021 Budget: Revenue Takes A Hit

• Mayor's Budget Address: 'Dark Shadows ...
• Newton Group Asks City To Cut Police Budget By 10 Percent...

• Defunding MA Police: What It Might Look Like

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).Have a press release you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how to post a press release, a column, event or opinion piece.