TELL GOVERNOR BAKER: SIGN THE POLICE REFORM BILL

TAKE ACTION NOW

The Massachusetts Legislature just sent long-awaited police reform legislation to Gov. Baker, and it includes critical provisions to regulate face surveillance and strengthen racial justice!

Section 26 of this bill would place safeguards on the use of racially biased face surveillance technology by the police. We need to make sure that Gov. Baker knows this section is an essential step to strengthening due process and racial justice.

Tell Gov. Baker signs the police reform bill as written, without delay!

Please take a moment to personalize the message. You can make your voice heard by calling Governor Baker too. Visit our website to make a call.

Message Recipients:

Governor Baker

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Subject

I urge you to sign the police reform bill as written. It is the result of months of tough negotiations and compromises on issues such as police certification, use of force, and data reporting. I'm thrilled that with your leadership the bill will establish a strong police oversight system. And I am pleased that it addresses violent police tactics, including choke holds, tear gas, and no-knock warrants, which are disproportionately used against people of color. We still have much to do in Massachusetts, but I believe these measures are crucial steps forward for racial justice.

In particular, I want to express my support for Section 26, which will regulate government use of facial recognition technology in Massachusetts. This too is an essential racial justice measure.

Message Body

This technology is sorely in need of smart, pragmatic regulations. Right now, facial recognition is powerful but deeply flawed, and there are little to no safeguards protecting against its improper use. Section 26 would allow police to deploy facial recognition technology in cases of fraud and for the investigation of serious crimes-but with crucial oversight measures that currently do not exist, such as warrant requirements and data reporting. We need these measures because, without them, this technology could promote bad policing and harm innocent people-especially people of color, who are more often misidentified, according the federal government's own technology standards body.

Consider the story of Robert Williams, a Black man in Michigan, who was arrested in front of his children and detained for over 24 hours based solely on a faulty face recognition scan. He only found out because an interrogating officer let slip that "maybe the computer got it wrong." Because there are no due process protections, police often do not disclose to defense attorneys when this technology is used to identify suspects. Mr. Williams is currently suing the Detroit police for his wrongful arrest. Unless we establish basic safeguards against poor policing and racial bias, it's only a matter of time before we hear stories like this in Massachusetts.

It is urgent for the Commonwealth to establish basic standards and guardrails for the use of this unregulated, racially biased, and dangerous technology.

Please sign the police reform bill into law without modification or delay.

Respectfully,

[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]

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TELL GOVERNOR BAKER: SIGN THE POLICE REFORM BILL

TAKE ACTION NOW

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