As anyone who drives around Boston knows, there always seems to be a lot of traffic and a lot of construction.
Increasingly, these sites don't have a police detail, even though it is required by city law.
"From a safety perspective, you want someone at the site directing traffic, right? It is purely a safety issue," said Stacy Thompson, executive director of LiveableStreets Alliance.
City officials say there are simply not enough Boston police officers available for the overtime work. They estimate just 40% of detail requests are filled across the city.
"Simply did not have the staffing available when it was just Boston police officers to man major construction sites, or, when there needs to be a roadway detour, emergency water main break, these are really important safety sites, these are also really important," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
The Boston City Council voted this week to approve a new police contract. Included in the new contract are major changes to the Boston Police Department's detail program.
Soon, retired Boston police officers, police from other towns and cities, university and college police, and civilians will be eligible for these detail shifts.
"Open up this opportunity to a much wider workforce, including civilians, and so this is a massive change that will take some time to operationalize, and get the technology platforms but it will be transformational in how we will keep people safe but also keep traffic moving," Wu said.
According to city officials, the program will also create a new tier system for detail work. Boston police officers will continue to work details at events over 5,000 people and major intersections. They'll be paid $68 an hour for this work.
The new tier, which will encompass all other detail work, will be open to everyone else and pay $60 an hour.
"We are happy to open up those jobs to other law enforcement groups, and if there are jobs that are still available, then a professional trained organization that can get out there and provide public safety," said Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association. "It only makes Boston a safer place to live and to visit."
Boston's current detail system is done on paper, and city officials say they plan to modernize it, creating a web- or app-based system that should be up and running in the coming months.
Civilians will also be trained before being sent out on details — a training that city officials say will include basic first aid.
"It is a good job, it does not require police training to do it well, and people do get hurt at these sites," said Thompson. "I think this is a win-win. We are not trying to force police officers into details we don't want, and we are creating job opportunities for civilians and making the public safer."
