In the wake of the recent killings of Black and Brown men and women, more attention has been paid to how police are trained, since poor training, at least in part, is thought to be one of the foundations of such devastating outcomes. How should police officers be trained to significantly reduce the likelihood of brutality and other types of racial and ethnic inequities? If we were to rethink police training from the ground up, how would training in the police academy be different? To address this question, which has been central to debates about community safety, we invited Lisa Holmes to the Reimagining Community Safety speaker series to share insights rooted in over 35 years of exceptional service in Boston law enforcement, including her role as Boston Police Superintendent and Head of the Boston Police Academy.
Lisa R. Holmes, is a retired Superintendent with the Boston Police Department. Prior to her retirement, she was the highest ranking female in the Boston Police Department. Her former assignment was the Chief of the Bureau of Professional Development, which includes the Boston Police Academy, the Police Cadet Unit & the Firearms Training Unit. This Bureau is responsible for all the training & educational requirements of the Boston Police Department, as well as other local police agencies that train there. She was previously the Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Professional Standards, which includes the Internal Investigations Unit, Anti-Corruption Unit, Recruit Investigation Unit and the Audit & Review Unit. Superintendent Holmes has 33 years of experience as an officer, an investigator, and a supervisor within the Boston Police Department. She is dedicated to partnering with the community through creative problem solving, strong leadership, and ensuring the highest quality police services.