Page 2 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 City, Revere Fire Dept. will hold 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on Saturday T lahan has also been invited to deliver remarks. The Rev. John Sheridan, pastor of the St. Mary of Assumption Church, will lead a prayer at the ceremony. Anne MacFarlane, whose daughter, Marianne MacFarlane, died on Sept. 11, 2001, has been invited to participate in the speaking program. The Department will lower the fl ag to half-staff , followed by a moment of silence, the he City of Revere and Revere Fire Department will mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11 at its annual remembrance ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 9:40 a.m. at the Revere Fire Station (360 Revere Beach Pkwy.). Revere Fire Chief Christopher Bright will preside over the program and deliver remarks. Mayor Brian Arrigo will also speak at the ceremony, and Police Chief David Cal“Four-Fives” bell ringing to honor the fi refi ghters and police offi cers who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and the raising of the fl ag to full staff . Sept. 11 historical archives will be on display to further honor the men and women who so gallantly served on that tragic day in New York City and in the days and months following the attack. HRC gives feedback on use of force policy update By Adam Swift C www.eight10barandgrille.com We Have Reopened for Dine-In and Outside Seating every day beginning at 4 PM reating a more diverse police force was the focus of the Human Rights Commission’s comments on the Revere Police Department’s recent update to its use of force policy. Last month, Sgt. Joseph Turner gave a nearly two-hour presentation on the policy, which focuses on de-escalation and adds mandated reporting and a mental health section. During the September Human Rights Commission (HRC) meeting, members gave their feedback on the policy. “I think it was a very good preWE'RE OPEN! 8 Norwood Street, Everett (617) 387-9810 STAY SAFE! sentation, especially because during the time I have been here in Revere, I have never seen a police department coming to talk about the structure of the program and explaining about the practices they have here in the department,” said committee member and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lourenço Garcia. “One of the remaining questions I have is about the diversifi cation of the police force.” Garcia said he would like the police, city administration and the commission to work together to look at strategies for addressing diversity in the police department. “The police institution will be better prepared if offi cers are culturally and linguistically connected to deal with our immigrants in the city,” said Garcia. HRC member Rev. Timothy Bogertman said he agrees that the diversifi cation of the police force is an important goal for Revere. HRC Vice-Chair Chaimaa Hossaini said she would also like to see the department provide more implicit bias training. Currently, she said offi cers get about eight hours of implicit bias training per year. “I personally believe that type of training should be extended to days, because implicit bias is built upon over years, and even decades, and eight hours of training is not enough,” Hossaini said. Police Chief David Callahan, who also sits on the Human Rights Commission, addressed several of the issues that were raised during the meeting. “We’re trying to do a better job, especially in these trying and tumultuous times, and we’re trying to be more open and transparent to give people more understanding and a better understanding of what we do and why we do it,” said Callahan. Callahan said the department is working to increase the diversity of its staff , even though new hires are largely dictated by state testing lists. “Currently, we’re at about 25 percent between females and minorities on the police department,” he said. “We’re better than a lot of other departments, but as time goes on, every time we are hiring lately, we have been hiring more people who speak Spanish or are of Latino culture. It’s been extremely helpful with community interaction and how we deal with situations where sometimes there is that cultural barrier.” On the issue of implicit bias training, Callahan said that while the state mandate for training is minimal, the department will be doing additional training in that area. “We’ve been ahead of the curve as a police department, and we’re going to continue to head in that direction and try to do a better job,” said Callahan. For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 781-286-8500 or Info@advocatenews.net
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