Nearly a year after George Floydâs death, Boston area communities are reexamining policing By John Hilliard Globe Staff,Updated April 16, 2021, 2 hours ago Email to a Friend A large crowd marched down Washington Street in Newton last June, protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.Jim Davis/Globe Staff Nearly a year after George Floydâs death at the hands of Minneapolis police, proposals to overhaul local law enforcement and root out systemic racism are making headway in several Greater Boston communities. In Brookline, a passionate debate over how to rethink policing led the Select Board to form two panels â one a âreformsâ committee, the other a task force to âreimagineâ policing. Each has developed its own set of recommended changes for the townâs police department.