Public invited to provide comment on body-worn cameras at virtual special meeting and hearing  on July 27

The public is invited to attend a virtual special meeting of the City Council and public hearing on body-worn cameras. The meeting and hearing, initiated by Mayor Jake Wilson, will take place virtually on Monday, July 27 at 6:30 p.m. All community members are invited to provide public comment during the hearing portion.  

The meeting and hearing provide an opportunity for the public to provide feedback on body-worn cameras as the City Council considers an immediate opportunity to accept time-limited grant funding for this purpose.   

Background  

• Local Actions 
  • After the death of George Floyd in 2020, the City committed to a ten-point plan to address systemic racism. The plan included achieving the goal (first launched in 2015) for police officers to deploy body-worn cameras for the safety and protection of both the public and officers. In March 2021, the City Council unanimously backed a proposed 2020 resolution in support of deploying body-worn cameras. Also in March 2021, after several years of negotiations, the City of Somerville and the Somerville Police Employees Association (SPEA) union reached an agreement to implement body-worn cameras. In 2022, the City’s Department of Racial and Social Justice launched the Public Safety for All Task Force, which, among other recommendations, called for the implementation of body-worn cameras in its final report issued in 2025.  

• State Grant 
  • In October 2025, the Massachusetts Office of Grants and Research announced a grant opportunity available to municipalities to support body-worn cameras with an application deadline of December 2025. The City of Somerville won a $231,635 grant through this process and initiated a request for approval of the grant by the Council after receiving word of the award in early 2026. The City must expend and receive related body camera equipment by August 31, 2026, in order to retain access to the funding.  

• Public Hearing  
  • In June 2026, 89 community members submitted a request to the Council for a public hearing on body-worn cameras, and the Council is responsible for scheduling that meeting in accordance with the City Charter. Because the funding opportunity will expire, and the Mayor heard from the Council that they wanted to hear from the public before voting, the Mayor called for a special meeting and a hearing (not to preempt but in addition to the requested hearing). The July hearing will provide an opportunity for any interested community members to also comment in time for consideration as the Council debates whether to accept the grant funding.

How to join the virtual hearing or submit written comment: 

To join the Public Hearing, enter this link into your internet browser any time before the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2ZKBxEsFSVmU_6EqGI2h3g. The meeting agenda will be posted 48 hours in advance of the meeting.  

If you are unable to attend the July 27 hearing but wish to be heard, submit public comments to the City Clerk at 93 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02143 or by email to publiccomments@somervillema.gov. Your comments must arrive no later than 12 p.m. on July 27 in order to be conveyed to the City Council for the public hearing.  

The Council is currently out of session and will be returning for this special meeting. For the full schedule of Council meetings resuming in August, please visit https://somervillema.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Council meetings can be streamed at youtube.com/somervillecitytv.