EVERETT, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria declared racism a public health crisis in the city on Tuesday.
“The City of Everett is culturally rich and abundantly diverse. Racism or discrimination, in any form, will not be accepted nor tolerated,” Mayor DeMaria said in a statement.
DeMaria said he has signed former President Barack Obama's Mayor's Pledge. It commits the city to reviewing the police use of force policies and reform them, engage with the community "by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories," and report findings from police reviews to the public.
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On WBZ's Nightside with Dan Rea, DeMaria said "when someone fears that they are being targeted maliciously due to their race, it brings fear into them. It brings anxiety, depression, so many other things; the inability to thrive in a community."
DeMaria said that the city is "constantly reforming" their policies and their use of force policies.
In a statement, Everett Police Chief Steven Mazzie said that the members of the police department "take their responsibilities seriously. We have always valued our relationships with our residents and strive to provide our services in a fair and impartial way. Over the years we have found that transparency, communication, and mutual respect have helped de-escalate volatile situations and often led to positive outcomes."
"We acknowledge that now is an important time to reinforce our dedication to getting the job done right while protecting those we serve and building a lasting trust,” Chief Mazzie said.
DeMaria's move comes just days after Boston Mayor Marty Walsh declared racism a public health crisis in the city.
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(Photo: City of Everett/Facebook)