#mapol

· 7mo ago

#SomervilleMA is discussing deploying body worn cameras on our police officers. This might sound good from an accountability perspective, but in most cities with police body cameras, the cameras and footage are controlled by the police and are used primarily for surveillance. Somerville residents, please contact the Finance Committee to ask them to defer acceptance of grant money for cameras until we have more information. Details below. #MAPol #MaPoli #surveillance #privacy

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 7mo ago

Replying to

I'm part of a group organizing about police body cameras in Somerville, and Councilor JT Scott will be sponsoring some of us to speak at the Legislative Matters committee meeting on April 28th, but in the meantime there's a Finance Committee agenda item for tomorrow night to approve the mayor's request that we accept and expend a federal grant to buy the cameras. #SomervilleMA #surveillance #privacy #MAPol #MaPoli

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 7mo ago

Replying to

Here's suggested email language to the Somerville Finance Committee, asking them to defer their decision on accepting federal money for police body cameras. Feel free to customize and make your own: https://cryptpad.fr/doc/#/2/doc/view/mBlTfGi7K2kraupXw4xsJXohfStmoRJ5ayGX6K6N2NQ/ #SomervilleMA #MAPol #privacy #surveillance

cryptpad.fr

Encrypted Document

CryptPad: end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 6mo ago

Replying to

Update on the #Somerville Body Worn Cameras discussion: the Finance Committee has deferred voting on whether to approve budgeting for the cameras. There's a bit of context here: https://csindie.com/body-worn-cameras-for-somerville-police-come-with-an-annual-cost-near-a-half-million-dollars/ (NOTE: the date for the upcoming Legislative Matters meeting is April 21, *not* the date listed in the article.) #MAPol #MAPoli #surveillance #privacy

Body-worn cameras for Somerville police come with an annual cost near a half-million dollars - Cambridge | Somerville Independent

csindie.com

Body-worn cameras for Somerville police come with an annual cost near a half-million dollars - Cambridge | Somerville Independent

With budget cuts looming in every Somerville department, some city councilors argued Tuesday that it wasn’t time for police officers to be equipped with body-worn cameras that will cost around $450,000 annually. The proposal to accept an initial grant that incurs those expenses was tabled by the...

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 6mo ago

Replying to

The Legislative Matters meeting on Tuesday will include a presentation about the need for common sense transparency and civilian oversight measures. #SomervilleMA #MAPol #surveillance

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 6mo ago

Replying to

#Somerville residents, please reach out to your City Councilors before then to let them know that you don't want the police to have body cameras without clear policies protecting transparency and civilian privacy. There's an action toolkit with a template email here: https://cryptpad.fr/doc/#/2/doc/view/w78L6SmN-wdylLDVU0vfus9uUmeu5lRWo+ETzKPtG80/ (EDIT: link updated to correct some minor copyediting errors in the email template) #SomervilleMA #MAPol #surveillance

cryptpad.fr

Encrypted Document

CryptPad: end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 6mo ago

Replying to

If you'd like to stay informed of community organizing efforts regarding the City of Somerville's pursuit of Body Worn Cameras for Police, please fill out this form: https://cryptpad.fr/form/#/2/form/view/VzpeBEc1duRVTYgevX3BuF4CcDWxqAmS6J+YP9zykh8/ #SomervilleMA #surveillance #bodycameras #MAPol #MAPoli

cryptpad.fr

Encrypted Form

CryptPad: end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Here is a generic-language version of the email I just sent to #Somerville Council about police #bodycameras for the 12pm deadline. https://sandstorm.appux.com/shared/lGlNKXBAaxeBW0-1FUCMihCp9r-K3h6HryHO2vNa4oa If you are delivering public comment tonight, feel free to adapt ideas in there. It's a complicated issue, and I know that concerns differ. #SomervilleMA #MAPol #surveillance #policing #privacy

sandstorm.appux.com

Sandstorm

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 3mo ago

Replying to

From the perspective of those of us trying to provide current information on this issue to the public, it's incredibly frustrating that *after* the Mayor scheduled this Special Meeting (on very short notice), he then proceeded to update the policy that is being discussed at the special meeting, just two business days before the public is supposed to provide comment (and the Council is supposed to vote). #surveillance #policing #MAPol #SomervilleMA #privacy #Somerville

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 3mo ago

Replying to

On Friday, the Mayor also released this self-congratulatory video about the body camera policy that he's hoping will be passed on Monday: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbJLZDzRjl3/ (apologies for the Instagram link) It's important to note that despite the fact that Mayor Wilson mentions #oversight in the same breath as body cameras, no civilian oversight body exists in #Somerville at this time, and creating one will likely take years. #SomervilleMA #MAPol #policing

instagram.com

Instagram

Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Some folks from the #Somerville DSA group put together these slides with tips on how to prepare public comment for the Special Meeting on #bodycameras tomorrow. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xmdAuHLzOOFhmdxZE3nWoZ7SveOiNW2mstvn7xPvr6Q/edit?usp=sharing #SomervilleMA #surveillance #policing #MAPol

docs.google.com

BWC public comment

Preparing Public Comment for BWC hearing, 7/26 Somerville DSA

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Update: On July 23rd, the Mayor introduced a new version of the STIR and TSSUP for police #bodycameras in #Somerville. The new documents clarify a number of policy points, but don't substantively address the concerns we've highlighted in our toolkit above. #surveillance #policing #MAPol #SomervilleMA #privacy

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 6mo ago

Replying to

Last night the #Somerville Legislative Matters Committee decided to hold the #bodycameras proposal in committee rather than voting to approve it. It's not clear what the next steps will be (stay tuned), but for now they are not moving forward on the proposal for body cameras without civilian oversight. Thank you so much to everyone who wrote or called in to council to express concern about the city's proposal! #MAPol #SomervilleMA #surveillance

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 6mo ago

Replying to

For anyone interested in a more complete update on the #Somerville #bodycameras deliberations, one of my collaborators put together this document summarizing ways to support our organizing: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSLHo6CD3P8L-EGbsr7pqxXf0CaU1A-XhsXV95ES43uPehjHgTpnwEORUTq_H_87V3nw2cEwSTgSMnY/pub #surveillance #SomervilleMA #MAPol #MAPoli

docs.google.com

BWC Update May 2026

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 4mo ago

Replying to

There's another update on #Somerville #BodyCameras posted here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vS6Lvi0cNzhztgzCyB-Ie28CSLJi1xzYOg6mEpNvXN_SJO4Dhyy2F6ZZJk-lBwd3zCissDDkIUXCu86/pub We finally have the memorandum of understanding on body cameras, and unfortunately it still says the data will be controlled by the police, with civilians only able to access the footage through public records requests. #MAPol #SomervilleMA #surveillance

docs.google.com

BWC Update June 2026

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Here is the latest update from the Somerville ad hoc group working on the body cameras issue: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRiU1P7QeQoR9Tbx-xr1wzevoa7D5UnRo8kRdEws6CFHLEgDCU7EzDkR60PAv4Rk0FByuZemkjya95c/pub The very short version is that the Mayor is still trying to rush this specific body cameras policy through without proper deliberation and that #Somerville is holding a special meeting on July 27th for public comment *and* a vote. This is *not* the public comment session that was requested by petition. #bodycameras #SomervilleMA #policing #surveillance #privacy #MAPol

docs.google.com

BWC Update July 2026

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Alexandra Thorn @athorn@better.boston

· 3mo ago

Replying to

We're asking #Somerville residents concerned about the rushed process on body camera policy to attend the special meeting on July 27th to insist on proper deliberation. We have an action toolkit here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQ8FOlm5fCo7-s3jubaDq79i0hHhamUw-o7DTxcLpo4GaBwuGvBNPiZy-d_RB6gvKmh6fSivtO42CZ7/pub #bodycameras #policing #surveillance #privacy #MAPol #Somerville MA

docs.google.com

BWC Public Comment Toolkit for Monday July 27, 2026

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Dodgy Pie 大雞排 ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐 @gcvsa@mstdn.plus

· 3mo ago

' In 2023, officials for the City of Boston flagged the busy corridor in Mission Hill for lacking in “bike safety and comfort.” They considered creating safer bicycle connections there to move Boston one step closer to its longstanding goal of eliminating traffic fatalities. A completion date on the project, however, is still “to be determined.” ' https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/10/metro/louisa-gag-cyclist-fatal-crash-tremont-street/ #BikeTooter #FediBike #SafeStreets #MApol #BOSpol #Boston #Massachusetts

‘Systemic failure’: Crash that killed Boston transit planner sparks furor over road safety efforts - The Boston Globe

bostonglobe.com

‘Systemic failure’: Crash that killed Boston transit planner sparks furor over road safety efforts - The Boston Globe

Residents and public officials alike have been concerned about pedestrian and cyclist safety on the stretch of Tremont Street in Mission Hill near Parker Street for years.

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