(Boston Police Department)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) — Boston Police Commissioner William Gross spoke against the American Civil Liberties Union on his personal Facebook page.
Gross referred to the ACLU as “paper warriors,” after the civil rights group filed a lawsuit demanding information on the Boston Police Department’s gang database.
“No ACLU when officers are shot. No ACLU when we help citizens,” Gross wrote. "Despite the paper warriors, we'll continue to do our jobs."
The ACLU joined a public records lawsuit claiming Boston police are too secretive about how they monitor suspected gang members. The group charges the department targets, and labels a disproportionate number of people of color in their gang investigations.
In his post, Gross also said the group did not have the “common decency” to call with condolences after Boston Police Officer John Moynihan was shot in the face during a traffic stop in 2015.
“Commissioner Gross’ accusations appear to be nothing more than an attempt to divert attention from the serious issues raised by an ACLU lawsuit that seeks to uncover whether the Boston Police Department is unfairly and arbitrarily targeting people of color through its gang database and sharing that information with federal immigration officials,” Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts Carol Rose said in a statement.
Boston Police released a statement saying they do not comment on the Commissioner's personal Facebook page.
WBZ NewsRadio1030's Karyn Regal (@Karynregal) reports