Dec 16, 2020
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Boston City Council voted Wednesday to establish an Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT), in an effort to set up a system of "effective civilian oversight, accountability, and transparency in policing" in Boston.
The City Council voted 12 to 1 to pass the ordinance establishing the OPAT, which also creates a Civilian Review Board and an Internal Affairs Oversight Panel.
The legislation is the result of a collaboration between the Council and the Administration to reconcile two ordinances, one filed by Mayor Marty Walsh to establish the OPAT, and another filed by Councilors Andrea Campbell of District 4, Ricardo Arroyo of District 5, and At-Large Councilor Julia Mejia to establish a Civilian Review Board (CRB).