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In the first of three townwide roundtables on diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan and local officials outlined progress that’s being made in terms of policing and law enforcement — and what still needs to be done.

“The pandemic and the George Floyd murder have put a focus on policing and law enforcement in a way that has never happened before,” Ryan said at the September 22 event where more than 70 Lincolnites logged on. She noted that Middlesex County was one of the first to sign onto the “8 Can’t Wait” campaign, which outlines eight policing reforms that are being adopted by communities all over the country.

People who are arrested usually have to post bail to be released from jail until their court appearance, “but the consequences fall heavier on some communities than they do on others,” Ryan noted. “If you can’t come up with $100 for bail, it tells you a lot about other things going on in your life,” such as low wages, an unstable housing situation, or no family support, “and that has sent many people into a spiral that was very hard to recover from.”

• Video of September 22 forum
• Slide deck

In 2018, Middlesex County stopped requiring bail for people who were arrested for crimes that wouldn’t involve prison time even if they were to be convicted. In the first six months, the number of people who subsequently didn’t make their court appearances rose by 0.5% but then dropped back down again to the previous level, Ryan said.

Cutting down on the number of people arrested and held in custody became more critical with the advent of the pandemic. As a result, law enforcement has been moving toward issuing summonses rather than making arrests for nonviolent offenses. “In partnership with police chiefs and the sheriff, we’ve brought the number of people in custody to incredibly historic lows,” Ryan said.

Law enforcement is also using diversion programs to keep people out of the criminal justice system. Mental health and substance abuse professionals are working more closely with police during and after calls involving threatening behavior. Restorative justice programs are also being employed to avoid saddling low-level offenders with a criminal record, which severely limits future employment opportunities and thus encourages more crime, Ryan said.

“These measures give us the ability to intervene and address challenges while also holding them accountable for their behavior,” she said.

Lincoln policing

Policing in Lincoln is very service-oriented, as officers rely heavily on partnerships and referrals to mental health, domestic violence, substance abuse and other social services, Police Chief Kevin Kennedy said. Echoing Ryan, he added that the policy of Lincoln police is to issue summonses for violations whenever possible, unless violence or public safety are involved or the person has an arrest warrant for a previous offense. Most arrests in town occur when someone (often a delivery driver) goes through the security check when entering Hanscom Air Force Base and is found to have an outstanding warrant.

Kennedy presented demographic data on motor vehicle stops from January 2018 to June 2020 showing that Hispanics are greatly overrepresented when it comes to motor vehicles summons issued in Lincoln. The reason is that undocumented immigrants are allowed to register cars but are not allowed to have driver’s licenses, so they get a disproportionate number of citations for driving without a license. Massachusetts legislators tried unsuccessfully this summer to remove that restriction.

Lincoln police adhere to the guidelines outlined by President Obama’s Task Force on 21st-Century Policing, which was convened after the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo, and subsequent unrest, Kennedy said. Statewide police reform is on the horizon as well; the Massachusetts State House and Senate each passed reform bills in July, but the bills were not reconciled in committee before the end of the 2020 legislative session.

Kennedy also outlined a detailed list of policies and trainings required of officers, including training on crisis intervention and de-escalation, the use of force, domestic violence, racial profiling, fair and impartial policing, and more. When the state does enact a policing bill, “we certainly welcome whatever reform there is going to be, and we will change our policies, practices, and procedures to comply,” he said.

Lincoln police are looking into holding a multi-night “citizens’ police academy” where residents can learn about specific issues surrounding policing in Lincoln. Also on the table are body-worn and cruiser cameras. The police will make a spending proposal next year for such equipment, but questions about its use in various circumstances (inside private homes, when taking viciim statements, etc.) must first be resolved. 

“There’s a whole host if issues that have to be discussed as a community,” Kennedy said.

Lincoln does not have any minorities on its force of 13 officers and five dispatchers. “We have to get more creative. Traditional approaches to [police] recruitment are not helping us to achieve the goals we want” in terms of diversity, Kennedy said. “We’re open to whatever way we can go about engaging and recruiting a diverse workforce.”

“We have a lot of work to do and we’re nowhere near where we want to be in terms of diversity,” agreed Town Administrator Tim Higgins.

The next two roundtables on diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism are:

• “What is the Role of Town Government?” — Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.
• “What is the Role of Community Groups?” — Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.

Click here for more information and registration links.

The Lincoln Squirrel is proud to announce that it’s a finalist for an Investigative Report of the Year award from LION (Local Independent Online News Publishers) for a series of stories about the Lincoln Water Department. A huge and heartfelt thank-you to everyone who gave their time for interviews and other assistance in writing these stories.

Here’s what the Squirrel submitted for the award, in chronological order of publication:

• Water Dept. needs to borrow more than $1 million — 2019/03/18
• More borrowing, water rate hikes on the horizon — 2019/10/25
• Water Department in financial and staffing crisis — 2019/10/31
• Amid grumbling, voters approve another loan for Water Department — 2019/11/03
• Farmers protest sudden end to lower water rates — 2020/01/09
• More big spending, rate hike on tap for Water Department — 2020/01/30
• Water Commission proposes 30% rate hike — 2020/02/06
• Water usage rates to go up by 28%, base charges by 43% — 2020/02/25
• Water Commission candidates discuss the issues — 2020/03/08
• Water Commission to hold forum on its spending requests — 2020/06/07
• Water Department still has plant operator vacancy — 2020/06/10

Here’s the list of all the nominees in LION’s “Investigative Report of the Year – Solo” category:

• The Austin Bulldog for its investigation of the Travis Central Appraisal District that exposed faulty management decisions that resulted in more than three times the number of formal Appraisal Review Board hearings, skyrocketing costs, doubled complaints, and more litigation over unresolved value disputes
• California Health Report for its investigation into how much federal money for mental health care California counties left on the table
• The Charlotte Ledger for its investigation of the complicated and troubling history of a man who was once one of Charlotte’s most influential economic development officials, who in recent years had a string of court cases involving stalking and harassment
• The Lincoln Squirrel for its investigation revealing that a major town department had almost no oversight by officials for years

The online awards ceremony will be on October 22 at 7 p.m.; click here for details and registration.

By Tomasina Lucchese

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) of Lincoln and Weston would like to thank Katrin Roush and daughter Kyla Chapman for their very successful “flower project”! This mother-and-daughter duo sold flowers, tomatoes, and herbs from their own garden to benefit SVdP. Katrin explained that she wanted to support Kyla’s need to feel helpful and connected to others. They often buy food for the food pantry and the sales idea was “a combination of wanting her to see how she could help out other families, and to have gratitude” (see the Lincoln Squirrel, August 13, 2020).

Kyla Chapman with the produce she sold to benefit the Lincoln/Weston food pantry.

But it’s the SVdP Food Pantry that’s feeling most grateful. It’s because of generous and thoughtful families like Katrin and Kyla that SVdP is able to do this very important work. Thank you for your support and dedication.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of St. Julia Parish works with people in need who live, work, or go to school in Lincoln or Weston. We serve more than 260 people from both towns twice a month at the food pantry located behind St. Joseph’s Church in Lincoln. SVdP also offers emergency financial assistance to help with bills, rent, etc.

If you or somebody you know is in need of food or emergency financial help, please call 781-899-2611 x4 or email svdplincolnweston@gmail.com. This is a challenging time for many, and although it can be difficult to ask for help, we are here to support. Everything is kept completely confidential.

Lucchese is Vice President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston.

”My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Calling all creative writers and artists! The deadline for submitting materials for the next issue of the Lincoln Chipmunk (now part of the Lincoln Squirrel) is Monday, September 21. Click here for details on how to submit, and call editor Alice Waugh if you have any questions. We look forward to helping you share your creative work.

Town officials have decided that it won’t be possible to hold a Special Town Meeting this fall to take up matters that were postponed from the stripped-down meeting in June. Instead, there will be three State of the Town meetings (SOTTs) held on consecutive nights in November via Zoom.

Given the ongoing pandemic and need for social distancing, “there’s nothing pressing enough to bring people together in person,” Selectman Jennifer Glass said. Chilly fall weather will prelude another outdoor gathering such as the June 13 town meeting that was held under a tent on the Hartwell school parking lot.

The State of the Town meetings with their agendas are listed below. 

• November 17 — An overview of town finances, the response to Covid-19, an update on the school building project, and a preview of the March 2021 Annual Town Meeting. 
• November 18 — A follow-up discussion to a series of roundtables on diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism that will kick off later this month (see below). 
• November 19 — South Lincoln planning, an issue that has been stalled since a controversial rezoning proposal met with resistance from residents and dissension on the Planning Board. 

Regarding diversity and inclusion, “we appreciate that not all community members experience life in Lincoln in the same way. We need to listen carefully to those who have been alienated in some manner and be willing to be truly reflective about changes that may be required to make all residents feel welcome and valued,” the Board of Selectmen wrote in a newsletter soon to be mailed to Lincoln residents.

The three roundtables will feature panelists who will guide discussion by participating Lincolnites. Click here for details and registration links (registration closes 48 hours before each event). To submit questions in advance, email selectmen@lincolntown.org before the deadlines listed.

September 22: “Policing in Lincoln and the State”

The discussion will seek to understand local and state policing policies and training, understand how the town budget supports public safety and other social services, and discuss status of current legislation. Panelists will be Kevin Kennedy, Lincoln Chief of Police; Marian Ryan, Middlesex District Attorney; and Tim Higgins, Town Administrator. Advance question deadline: September 15.

October 7: “What is the Role of Town Government?”

Members of town boards, committees and departments will lead a discussion of the jurisdictions and roles of town government officials and Town Meeting who could authorize funding or other significant actions. Advance question deadline: September 30.

October 21: “What is the Role of Community Groups?

Panelists will include members of community organizations, cultural institutions and nonprofits to help everyone learn how town organizations are addressing diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Advance question deadline: October 14.

Warrant articles that were postponed from the 2020 Annual Town Meeting may resurface at the ATM in March 2021. They included citizens’ petitions to ask voters if they would:

• Hear reports from town boards on the status of the community center project
• Change the name of the Board of Selectmen to the Select Board
• Support the proposal of the eighth-grade Warrant Article Group to support the Parkland School students’ organization, March for Our Lives, to end school shootings and shootings all over the country
• Adopt a resolution in support of various federal, state and local actions to combat climate change
• Adopt a new section in the town’s General Bylaws called the Polystyrene Reduction By-Law
• Require Lincoln retail establishments to charge a fee for non-reusable check-out bags
• Prohibit food establishments in Lincoln from using and distributing disposable plastic straws, stirrers, and splash sticks