BLACK LAW ENFORCEMENT DEMANDS ANSWERS ON DEMOTION
National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers Seeks Answers on Demotion of Respected Boston Deputy Superintendent of Police
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dated: Friday July 05, 2024
While recognizing that assignments to command-level positions within our profession are typically at the discretion of those in authority, when one is relieved of their position there usually must be shown a reason that is relevant to their conduct, or lack thereof, which satisfies their removal. This reason must show just cause, or factual proof of either wrong doing or incompetence in order that it ultimately gain community-wide acceptance and approval, thus strengthening the legitimacy of the person in charge and their decision- making process.
With this concept in mind, it is with significant curiosity and extreme consternation that NABLEO’s Board of Directors, National Body, and I as NABLEO Chairman observe Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox’s arbitrary and unexplained decision to demote Deputy Superintendent Eddy Chrispin to the rank of Sergeant, which was Chrispin’s previous civil service rank prior to being promoted by former Commissioner William Gross in January 2021.
Deputy Superintendent Chrispin, previously was the President of NABLEO’s Massachusetts-based chapter, the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, and was in fact the recipient of the 2023 Law Enforcement Leadership Award given by the national body. He had been recently appointed to serve on the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell on June 25, 2024, replacing former commission member Larry Ellison, another former president of our Massachusetts chapter and current Boston police detective. During his more than 25 years of service with the Boston Police Department, Chrispin has been a strong and vocal advocate for officers of color, women and non-traditional police officer communities, had been previously appointed to the Boston Police Reform Task Force by former Mayor Marty Walsh, and has served as a patrol officer, a spokesperson in the Media Relations Unit and as a staff instructor at the Police Academy.
The questions which must now be raised is whether there was, in fact, a conflict of interest in having a member of the Boston Police command staff simultaneously serve as a member of a state-wide authority whose mission is to improve policing and enhance public confidence in law enforcement by implementing a fair process for mandatory certification, discipline, and training for all peace officers in the Commonwealth? Who was aware of this conflict prior to Chrispin’s appointment to the POST commission? What impact, if any, will his sudden demotion have on his appointment to the POST commission? How is this appointment different than the service of Off. Lawrence Calderone, President of the Boston Police Patrolman’s Association, who serves as a member of the Massachusetts Joint Labor Management Committee, another state-wide agency, who also is a member of the POST commission?
One would reasonably presume that having someone whose principal responsibilities within the agency are directed towards the professional development and training of its members serve in a position that would provide direct support to their duties would be of serious, strong benefit to any police commander. It is also reasonable to presume that the Attorney General very likely discussed her intent to appoint Chrispin to the commission with others, prior to making the final decision to appoint him. Consequently, one must then ask if there were any levels of dissent voiced, or concerns of conflict of interest at that time.
It now becomes extremely obvious that there must be a strong degree of accountability, truthfulness and honesty that is due the Boston community and its law enforcement agency. They are deserving of a full and complete explanation of the precise reasoning for the demotion of a highly respected member of both the Boston-area law enforcement community and a valued member of our national body. They are deserving of a full disclosure from Commissioner Cox on his reasons for demoting Deputy Superintendent Chrispin.
Having said this, the Board of Directors and the nearly 10,000 General Body membership of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, Inc. (NABLEO), stands in solidarity with Deputy Superintendent Eddy Chrispin and the membership of the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, in their quest for clarity on this issue, and their demand for the re-instatement of Deputy Superintendent Chrispin to his command-level position.
The National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, Inc, a 501.(c).(3) non-profit, is a premier national organization representing the interests and concerns of African American, Latino and other criminal justice practitioners of color serving in law enforcement, corrections, and investigative agencies throughout the United States, and the communities in which they serve.
