Beacon Hill approves elimination of Fall River Police Board, Board of Fire Commissioners

The Massachusetts House and Senate enacted two Fall River bills to abolish Police and Fire Boards.

H2645, the abolishment of the board of police and H2646, the abolishment of the board of fire commissioners, was enacted Monday morning.

In November of 2020, Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan proposed to the City Council that the city eliminate its Police Board and Board of Fire Commissioners after an investigation by WPRI found that neither board had held a meeting in recent years.

The boards were meant to act as community liaisons with the city’s public safety departments, and members received an annual $1,500 stipend for their participation.

“I know government spends money that people wouldn’t spend that way,” Coogan told WPRI at the time. “But we’re not just throwing it in the trash can. This $9,000 doesn’t buy us anything.”

Coogan received the City Council’s support in 2020 to dissolve the boards which required approval from the Massachusetts legislature to change the city’s charter.

In 2020, there was some support from the City Council involving the boards being replaced with some form of oversight.