@DefundWPD

Independent collective of Worcester community members committed to divestment from police and investment in community-led safety initiatives and social services

 Worcester, MA
defundwpd.org/posts/change-the-narrative/
Joined June 2020
  • Tweets2.2K
  • Following115
  • Followers621
151Media
October 10 at Worcester State Univ. Hear directly from the people who have endured the consequences of two decades of failed leadership at the Worcester Police Department. betterworcester.org/oct-10-w…
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Today back in 2021, family of Phet Gouvonvong pushing for City and DA to release the name of the officer who shot and killed family member. telegram.com/story/news/loca…
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DefundWPD retweeted
mohamed@damwanar19 Apr 2022
a general rule of thumb for abolitionists: if cops in your city are getting (or trying to get) military gear, surveillance tools, or anything that expands their power - and there's nothing regulating them - you'd be better off fighting for a ban rather than oversight/transparency
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DefundWPD retweeted
Tim O'Neil@oneilt3214 Apr 2022
This is such striking graphic from @DefundWPD. You budget for what you prioritize. This is sickening. “Top 100 highest paid employees in Worcester: blue is police, red is fire department, yellow is school district and white is city hall administrative. (Click image to see all)”
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For a year we’ve been banging the drum that ShotSpotter flouts basic scientific standards. It has never actually tested its system for false alerts, keeps basic info about its system secret, and relentlessly promotes obviously bogus stats.
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ICYMI, the 97% claim is based on no testing or data. They just *assume* every alert is a gunshot unless police contact ShotSpotter with a complaint about a specific false alert/missed gunshot. CPD admitted during the hearing that they *never* file complaints about false alerts
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This guy, @slayercapital, has been in my replies for a year with vicious insults every time I drop facts about ShotSpotter, including our finding that ~90% of ShotSpotter alerts turn up *no gun incident whatsoever*. Turns out this Twitter troll was a ShotSpotter exec.
T. Greg Doucette@greg_doucette7 Apr 2022
Replying to @greg_doucette
Since ShotSpotter likes to be litigious, I suppose I should outline the publicly available data that led to me speculating @/slayercapital was their Vice President of Engineering, Doug McFarlin Let's start at the beginning... 1/
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The Denver program to send social workers instead of police (STAR) has responded to over 2,200 calls low-level/intox/MH calls. They have never called for police back-up due to a safety issue. Never. Think about that.
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The @THEWOONAACP statement on the appointment of acting city manager: drive.google.com/file/d/1A-d… #WorcPoli

Statement on Appointment of Acting City Manager - Worcester Branch NAACP.pdf

drive.google.com
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Today back in 2021, Retired Worcester Police Officer, "‘This is systemic’: City leaders, former officer highlight racism within Worcester Police Department while union president denies its existence masslive.com/worcester/2021/…

Worcester police union denies racism exists within department

Several people of color spoke of racist actions of the Worcester police department that they experienced.

masslive.com
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DefundWPD retweeted
DefundWPD@DefundWPD4 Apr 2022
CALL TO ACTION: 3 items on the City Council agenda for this week need your voice! 10.11A Surveillance Drone Program 10.38J Paying for Body Cams out of contingency fund 12.A Appointing interim city manager w/o a search or transparent process 🧵👇
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Today back in 2012, Worcester's @niccommawoo recitation on Gary Gemme, "a case of a police chief who acts as if he is above the law and a city government who continually tells him he is above the law" nicolecommawoo.wordpress.com…

Twitter is a Symptom, not the Problem

I’ve been disappointed, though not surprised, that the media — and especially Jordan Levy — have categorized the movement for Chief Gemme to resign as little more than a reaction …

nicolecommawoo.wordpress.com
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“Why don’t you send social workers instead of the police” is looking wildly successful
Denver’s Program to Dispatch Mental Health Teams Instead of Police is So Successful it is Expanding 5-Fold

ALT Denver’s Program to Dispatch Mental Health Teams Instead of Police is So Successful it is Expanding 5-Fold

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Former Worcester diversity officer's resignation letter is a bit more pointed about her decision to leave, calling the city's commitment to equity/diversity an "extracurricular activity" patch.com/massachusetts/worc…

Worcester Diversity Officer Wanted 'More Progressive' Workplace: Letter

In a February resignation letter, former chief diversity officer Stephanie Williams described her decision to leave the job after two years.

patch.com
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New Hampshire released a statewide list of problem police officers. No such list exists in Massachusetts telegram.com/story/news/2022… @BPetrishenTG @TweetWorcester @worcesterda @MassAGO @FiveFreedoms @SunshineWeek @MassCrimDefense @DMAnews1 @NHgov @MassGov #SunshineWeek2022

New Hampshire released a statewide list of problem police officers. No such list exists in Massac...

The focus on accountability among public workers is heightened during Sunshine Week, an initiative that promotes open government and right-to-know laws.

telegram.com
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'Checking a box' on diversity? Worcester advisory committee suspends work out of frustration with city leadership telegram.com/story/news/2022… @SteveFoskettTG @TweetWorcester

'Checking a box' on diversity? Worcester advisory committee suspends work out of frustration with...

Committee member Bernard Reese said he was disappointed that the community was getting platitudes instead of the truth about Williams' departure. He said it's starting to look like the city adminis...

telegram.com
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Stephanie Williams said in a statement she resigned to be in an "environment where I can have more of an impact." trib.al/CbvYfyb
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Outgoing Worcester diversity chief: Disconnect, desire for more impact prompted departure telegram.com/story/news/2022… @SteveFoskettTG @TweetWorcester @THEWOONAACP

Outgoing Worcester diversity chief: Disconnect, desire for more impact prompted departure

Outgoing Chief Diversity Officer Stephanie Williams sent out a statement regarding her departure, citing a "disconnect between organizational and institutional impact needed in order for this work to...

telegram.com
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Stefanie Williams stepped down as Worcester's chief diversity officer last week. She's the third person to hold the job since 2016. trib.al/zB1b2nw
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So I’m going to whip up a post tomorrow because the silliness of the nuclear vote versus the short shrifted chief diversity officer convo is highly illuminating. But for now here’s a very good quote from @vote_thu on the latter issue (rough transcription)
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