By Adam Swift
The Revere Police Department is in the process of providing body cameras to each of its officers.
One city councillor wants to see the use of body cameras extend to Revere’s parking enforcement officers.
Monday night, Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya introduced a motion asking that the mayor include a dedicated line item in the parking enforcement budget to fund the purchase and implementation of body-worn cameras for 12 parking enforcement officers, as well as dashboard cameras for six parking enforcement vehicles.
“Over the past few weeks we have seen an increase of confrontations involving parking enforcement officers,” said Guarino-Sawaya. “The situation has escalated sometimes beyond verbal disputes and officers have been confronted, threatened, even followed, and in some cases physically assaulted for simply doing their jobs. It is unacceptable and it highlights a real safety concern that we can’t ignore.”
Providing the body cameras would not be about punishing anyone, but about providing the opportunity to deescalate potentially dangerous situations and providing more accountability.
“I think it would be the simplest way to put tools in everyone’s hands that could protect the residents, protect the people, the parking clerks and everyone involved,” said Guarino-Sawaya. “They prevent situations from escalating and provide a clear, unbiased record when incidents do occur. So this is basically just a study to see how much this would cost to see if we can enforce it and implement them.”
The councillor noted that the city could potentially use money from parking meters to help pay for the program if it was enacted.
In other business, Guarino-Sawaya also filed a motion requesting that the mayor request the Revere Police Department, in coordination with Traffic, Parking Enforcement, and the Traffic Advisory Committee, to increase targeted traffic enforcement on Pomona Street and the surrounding area during peak hours.
“This request is made due to ongoing gridlock, unsafe driving behavior, and quality of life and safety impacts on residents, including residents unable to safely exit their driveways,” said the councillor.
Guarino-Sawaya said drivers are speeding down Pomona Street to reach Revere Street, and that drivers exiting Blanchards are ignoring the existing and inadequate no left turn signage coming out of the liquor store.
