Cambridge Police
City Council Votes to Ban Tear Gas, Order Reinstating Indoor Dining Restrictions Fails
Tear gas has not been deployed in Cambridge since the 1970s, and while the Cambridge Police Department currently does not possess tear gas or authorize the use of it, the department does not explicitly ban it either.
Two High-Ranking Officers Depart Cambridge Police Department Following Social Media Controversies
Two high-ranking officers have left the Cambridge Police Department in recent months after they were involved in controversial social media incidents in 2020.
Massachusetts State Senator Discusses Police Reform Bill at HKS Event
Mass. Sen. William N. Brownsberger ’78 — a key player in the passage of the state’s recent police reform bill — spoke virtually to the Harvard Kennedy School as part of its Reimagining Community Safety Speaker Series on Wednesday.
Cambridge Serious Crime Increased by 8 Percent in 2020
The City of Cambridge experienced an 8 percent increase in serious crimes last year compared to 2019, according to a report published by the city Friday.
Cambridge Police to Retire Camouflage Uniforms, Reduce Weapon Inventory
The Cambridge Police Department will reduce its inventory of long guns and less-than-lethal weapons and will retire officers’ camouflage uniforms, the department announced Tuesday.
Boston Man Arrested in Connection with Harvard Square Bank Robbery
Cambridge Police arrested a Boston man Friday in connection with the armed robbery of a Harvard Square bank that occurred this past November.
City Council Members Discuss Residential Survey Results On Pandemic Response and Policing
Cambridge City Council members discussed the findings of a recent residential survey on the city’s pandemic response and police department during a “roundtable” Zoom meeting on Monday.
City of Cambridge Creates Task Force to Examine ‘Future of Public Safety’
Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale launched a task force composed of Cambridge officials and residents earlier this month to examine the future of public safety in Cambridge following a national reckoning in policing.
City of Cambridge Hosts Webinar on Law Enforcement’s Connection to Racism and Trauma
Domestic assault prevention activists and Cambridge officials proposed ways law enforcement and other service providers can support vulnerable people who experience domestic violence in a webinar hosted by the City of Cambridge Monday.
CPD Domestic Violence Webinar
Domestic assault prevention activists and Cambridge officials proposed ways law enforcement and other service providers could support people who experience domestic violence in a webinar Monday.
Crime in Cambridge Up 4 Percent Through Early November Compared to 2019, Police Say
The Cambridge Police Department has recorded a 4% increase in crimes from last year with a total of 2,035 serious crimes this year, though the total remains slightly below the city’s five-year average, according to CPD’s monthly crime report.
As Unemployment Rises, Cambridge Sees More Residents Compromised in National Unemployment Fraud Scheme
Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, hundreds of Cambridge residents have had their personally identifiable information used to fraudulently claim unemployment benefits as part of a broader national scheme.
Cambridge Police Monitoring Ballot Boxes Ahead of November Elections
The Cambridge Police Department has deployed officers to monitor ballot drop boxes and polling locations around the city in a bid to ensure next week’s elections run safely.
‘Long Past Time’: City Council Supports Police Accountability Dashboard
The Cambridge City Council adopted a pair of motions to allocate funds toward a new records management system that aggregates police activity and toward a project to house the city’s homeless population in its meeting Monday.
City of Cambridge Publishes Manual on Trauma-Informed Policing Initiative
The City of Cambridge published a manual this month outlining its trauma-informed policing initiative and offering guidance on how to implement a similar program in municipalities around the country.
Cambridge Activists Advocate for ‘Community Safety Response Program’ as Alternative to Police Department
A group of Cambridge activists are calling for a “community safety response program” grounded in rehabilitation as an alternative to local police amid a nationwide reckoning with law enforcement.
Cambridge Police Department Investigates Twitter Account Linked to Lieutenant
The Cambridge Police Department is investigating “deeply disturbing” social media activity allegedly linked to a lieutenant in the police force that appears to make light of police brutality.
Cyclist Victim Identified in Fatal Harvard Square Collision
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan and Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard Jr. have identified the victim of a fatal traffic accident in Harvard Square last month as 55-year-old Darryl Willis.
Tractor-Trailer Fatally Strikes Bicyclist in Harvard Square
A tractor-trailer fatally struck a male bicyclist in Harvard Square Tuesday morning, according to CPD spokesperson Jeremy Warnick.
Cambridge Police Report Shows Department Owns Military Rifles and Armored Vehicle
Among the inventory are 63 Colt M4 rifles, 11 sniper rifles, 18 MP5 submachine guns, and one Lenco Bearcat — a $350,000 armored vehicle.
Cambridge Police Union Opposed Police Reform Bill on Social Media, Warning of ‘Purge’
Cambridge Police Patrol Officers Association— the union representing Cambridge Police Department officers — denounced a new police reform bill on Facebook last Wednesday, writing of a “purge that will come” if the bill is passed.
City Council Votes to Pause Hiring of Vacant Jobs in Cambridge Police Department
The Cambridge City Council voted Monday to temporarily pause the hiring of vacant positions in the Cambridge Police Department and begin filling positions in the Housing Liaison Office, Community Development Department, and Central Square Library.
In Marathon Meetings, City Council and Cambridge Residents Deliberate Over Funding for the Cambridge Police Department
After nearly five hours of public comments from Cambridge residents, discussion over the budget for the Cambridge Police Department — framed by a national debate over police brutality — became heated Wednesday when the City Council heard testimony from Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr.
As Summer Approaches, Reported Crime Rate Rises in Cambridge
Cambridge police officers responded to nearly 200 incidents during the month of May, marking the highest monthly crime total of 2020, according to CPD’s monthly crime report.