Police Review Board Ready After 2 Years

Two and a half years after its creation, the Cambridge Civilian Review Board, the only committee in New England which reviews complaints against police, convened for the first time last night--with nothing on the agenda.

The five CRB members, who were appointed by City Manager Robert M. Healy, introduced themselves and informally discussed goals for the unique board, which has not yet received any formal complaints.

However, the appointees said last night's meeting represented significant progress for the commission. "We're not dragging our feet--we're going as fast as we can," said CRB member Domenic Christofaro.

Activists have accused city officials of delaying the formation of the board because of police objections to civilian review.

"There were four other city councilors who didn't want [the CRB], the chief of police [Anthony G. Paolillo] didn't want it, so I think [City Manager Robert M.] Healy was stalling because these people were against it," said Councilor Saundra Graham, sponsor of the Cambridge ordinance which created the CRB.

Neither Healy nor Paolillo could be reached for comment yesterday.

Only recently, the board acquired an executive director, a full membership, and a budget of $68,250. But it has yet to receive office space, and has not defined its own powers or procedures.

Although the CRB has not yet consulted the city legal department about its powers, the board will probably act as an advisory body to Healy, said CRB Executive Director Carl Nelson, who was appointed last Monday. "That may sound vague," he told the five-member board, "but the whole thing is a little bit vague right now."

In an interview last night, Graham said she expects the CRB to set a precedent for other New England communities. The town of Newton has already expressed interest in creating a similar board, she said.

Two years ago, the Cambridge City Council voted to establish the CRB following charges of racist police conduct.Cambridge officers arrested eight Black youths andcharged them with assaulting a cyclist. The boys'parents claimed their children had beenarbitrarily arrested because they were Black.

Graham said that while previous strong interestin a civilian review board had existed, "there hadnever been enough votes to get it through untilthe police decided to round up every Black kidthat they saw and arrest eight of them for a crimethat was committed in another part of town."

If the boys' parents lodge a formal complaint,the board is poised to investigate it.

Nelson said he expects that "a good number" ofthe complaints the board investigates will bereferred to it by the police department.

In November, Samad Nassirnia, an Iranianstudent, charged a Cambridge police officer withassault and harassment during an arrest.Nassirnia withdrew the charges last week, butpressure to investigate the incident continues.

Board members said the CRB has not yet receivedformal complaints because few people, includingthose who pushed for its creation, are aware theboard is ready to investigate cases. Graham, whosaid she had not known the board would meettonight, predicted that complaints would flow inas soon as the CRB advertised its presence.

In addition to advertisements in localnewspapers, the CRB plans to call attention to itspresence with an open house for city officialsduring the next few weeks.

The members, who represent five regions ofCambridges, are Marian Darlington-Hope, FrancisMcGrail, David Barry, Domenic Christofaro andDorothy Vetrano