May 19, 2025 • 38 mins
The HALO Act is a legislative bill aimed at creating a buffer zone for first responders to be able to conduct their job responsibilities without interference from bystanders. While police advocate for establishing a legal buffer zone that would keep not just police safe but spectators who at times are inserting themselves and getting either hurt or arrested with interfering with police activity, some are not in favor of the Act believing it infringes on the public’s “right to know” and fear police could abuse the law. Do you think there is a need for a police/bystander buffer zone? Why or why not? MA Rep. Richard Wells, a supporter of the bill joined us to discuss. Dan also heard from listeners on both sides of the aisle on this one!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z
Boston Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thank you very much, Dan Watkins. Want to talk tonight
with someone who have known for a long time. He's
the former chief of police in Milton, Massachusetts. Currently now
he represents that fine community at the state House state
Representative Richard Wells. Representative Wells, welcome to NIGHTSID.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
How are you believing, my friend?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
How are you Dan doing? Great? Richard? You're a Democrat
in the majority up there, but you're working with a
Republican from another part of the state, Uh, which Marty
Eggs areus? I believe how we represent from yah Republican.
(00:51):
The common ally that that you have is that Representative
Zarius uh has spent forty years in the the Armouth
Police Department. And what we're concerned about, frankly, is a
piece of legislation that I know was adopted in Florida.
Has it been adopted in any other states that you're
(01:11):
aware of?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I'm not aware of it. It was adopted in Flarta
I bloemd just before I entered the legislature, which was
that the year I'm a freshman up and it was
adopted last year, right, be honestly, It's not something I
have a thought of, but it's badly what a point
then in the career and a first professional first responders
(01:33):
was something I needs to be enacted.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Well, I mean, we saw some craziness in Worcester the
other day. I think back to what went on in
the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis
and in other cities around the country a few years
ago Seattle, there was a period of time where they
had a zone out there, so called autonomous zone. Here
(01:58):
in Boston police office have been confronted not only in
demonstrations at night by the Boston common but there was
a demonstration a few years ago when some of the
right wing knuckleheads wanted to have a march in downtown
Boston and they were doing something at the bandstand, and
(02:19):
the police were there to simply protect their right to
express themselves and a lot of folks ended up in
confrontations with the police. Firefighters in New York City have
been pelted with bottles at different times when they have
tried to respond to fires, and I'm sure there are
other instances that I can't recall on If there's anything
(02:39):
that you want to add to it, being a first responder,
a police officer, a firefighter, or an EMT can be
First of all, it's very serious business. It's dangerous business,
and if you have to have eyes in the back
of your head, that can cause real problems. Would this
piece of legislation would do It would protect officers from
(03:05):
people interfering with them as they're attempting to, you know,
to do their job. You describe it better than me,
but feel free to let our listeners know what you
think the legislature should pass so clearly.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
You know, my life has been dedicated to the professional
policing and I'm very humble to now be a member
of the Master's' Legislature. It's next to being a cop,
which is probably the thing I identify with the most professionally.
I find what takes place in the legislature each and
every day among so many men and women to be
(03:44):
truly honorable work. You know, you may not always agree
whether I'm a nortre. They listen to everyone to watch
them the door, and that's that's pretty admirable. But in
the Hail Act. Since I retired from the police department
almost eight years ago, I've been working as a police
trainer for the karmawealth of them for police training communion.
I've traveled, I travel extensively across the callon Wealth, teaching
(04:05):
the police academies in all the various regions. But the
halo actors created because even though police officers understand today
when they walk out the door, you know, not only
are they wearing a body camera probably now, but they're
on camera every day, you know, everywhere the issues that's
happened now with touch a degree of frequency, it's almost
(04:27):
become a sport. Is that when an officer or a firefighter. Recently,
I watched the case where two fire ms personnel working
I think was a stabbing victim, was a very hectic
at night seeing they were trying to and people were
just harassing them, getting in their face, taunting them, and
the camera sometimes is part of it. Sometimes it isn't
(04:47):
you know, officers first response as they say it used
to being videotaped. This has nothing to do with the
first amount of videotaping people. But when you get to
the point that you're active, actively interfering with them in
the course of their duty, the point that someone could
get hurt or potentially lose their life. That's where there
has to be some type of deterrent, you know, as
it's something that's going to be used every day. No,
(05:09):
but and I'll bring it in. Just look at and
I probably took six or eight incidents just from the
Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Boston just this most reached
of March, and there were so many incidents that I
couldn't even count, to the point that it was you,
the media who was reporting on these incidents. That's how
they came to mind, or that's how I started to
pay attention to them.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
So what you're saying at the Saint Patrick's Day parade,
some people were disorderly and police officers approach him, and
I assume you're describing a situation where the crowd then
turns on the police.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Well, this is even more than that. This is where
the officers are now decided to take an action where
they're either trying to disperse someone, lose someonere actually and
too often is where they go to have to make
an arrest and go to take someone into custody. And
that's where many of these cases are. From the point
of a first responders, they start to work on someone else,
(06:02):
they're trying to take action and they're suddenly surrounded where
people are right in their face, tous and them. I
don't know if you saw that video a couple of
weeks ago to Boston police officer doing nothing, just assigned
to a scene whose standing is completely surrounded, taking no
action at all, just being harassed, called every name in
the book, just as they say. It's I'm a sport
(06:23):
and you know we have twenty mine hours school zones.
In a speedless in the school zone is a deterrent
to speeding badly would come to the point where there
has to be some type of determ. It's not in
arresting offense. It's a fine, and it only would would
kick in after being ordered by the first responder to
get back to stand back.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
While that is the analogy for me, representative is you
and I go to a ballgame at Fenway Park and
we think to ourselves, you know, I could do a
better job than that third base coach. So I'm going
to jump onto the field. I'm not going to interfere
with anybody, but I'm just gonna stand next to a
third base coach and when somebody you know, hits a double,
I can wave the runner in or you know, I
(07:07):
mean that sounds like a like a crazy idea, but
obviously that third base coach is gonna wait, who are you?
What are you doing here? Or you know, I'm going
to walk into some doctor's office and when the doctor
is calling the next patient in, I'll walk in with
the next patient and just say, gee, doc, I want
to see how good a job you do. I mean
(07:28):
that this is insane. I mean, you know, or when
there's a fire, maybe I want to climb up the
fire ladder and see what it's like to go up
that fire ladder and feel the heat of those flames
coming out the window. I mean, there are people who
were just I hate to use a technical term here representative,
but there are people who were nuts, you know. I
(07:52):
mean it's like the guy that runs out on the
football field in the middle of a Patriots game and
you know, some linebacker decides to knock him down. I mean,
the you know what, right, just because you buy a
ticket to a sporting event doesn't mean you could run
out onto the field. We all understand that. And just
because you happen to be in a neighborhood and come
upon a police officer or an EMT or a firefighter
(08:13):
doing their job. You don't have a right to crowd
them and to distract from them as they're doing their job,
any more than you have the right of walking into
an operating room while surgery is going on and say, well, look,
I want to scrub up here. I want to watch
the surgeon make sure he doesn't make a mistake. People
are nuts. People are nuts. How tough is it going
to be to get the legislature to get behind something
(08:35):
like this, Richard, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
I did look today.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
I was.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
I mean, I'm brand new, and I understand I'm brand new.
I'm not a chief and the legislature. I'm not the
chair of the selectable, and I am a freshman legislator
who I describe very much in an active apprenticeship, trying
to learn things every day. I am. I know that,
as you know, to pass legislature is a very difficult
(09:04):
ill amount of climb, maybe amount of climb I'm mature,
but I do worry that I will say this to you.
You know, I do sit in the Public Safety Committee,
and I every day you meet with different constituencies that
come before you, and one of the things that truly
does bother me today that concerns me, and I felt
this a little before I got there, But it's I mean,
(09:25):
these types of assaults and interferings with not just police officers,
firefighters and EMTs. It's emergency on nurses, mental health worker
is probatient, it's correctionally, it's everywhere. I listened to testimony
a couple of weeks ago from a professional medical group
(09:47):
that like one every twenty seconds a hospital workers assaulted
in a hospital in the common Like that's who think
that would even be, you know, a possibility. But I
often say in my causes that I teach in the
police and my dad is the greatest terry nation. A
lowatu guy or the police department. In nineteen forty nine,
(10:08):
he was issued a revolver, a six bullets, a pair
of handcuffs, and a twelve in nightstick. About a year later,
I think he went to the police academy for two weeks.
In nineteen eighty four, I came on the job, I
was issued to revolve a speed over as a can
of pepper spray, and I was the police academy for
(10:29):
twelve weeks. Today, a police officer in the United States
come into the profession that issued everything from a body
camera to a pistol to the days that all these things,
all types of equipment, and they go to the police
academy almost over six months now, you nor I any legislation.
None of us made that happen. That's the complexity of society.
(10:53):
And look at I wish they didn't have to be
a Hale act, but I've watched so many of these incidents,
and the officers and the first responders, the firefighters, the
mts have to have some type of ability. It's not
the nice You want a videotape, videotape, videotape from twenty
five feet a window, don't be five inches from their face.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Yeah, well, that's the point with the camera.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Just don't do it.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
That's why you need this piece of legislation. What my
concern is is that the legislature does not prioritize not
only the safety of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, but also
prioritize the safety of individual citizens. I mean, the problems
(11:38):
like this can occur at the drop of a hat.
You had that guy who went into a Chick fil
A was it last January on Boylston Straight and got
into a gunfight with an off duty police officer. I'm
sure the police officer didn't start the gunfight. He finished it,
But I didn't start the gunfight. Just don't know. There
(12:01):
are a lot of people out there who feel as
if they have the authority to basically take control of
a situation, and I just hope the legislature doesn't look
at this as some sort of a piece of legislation
which is going to prohibit or restrict First Amendment activities
of individuals, all of us who are lawyers, and I
(12:25):
believe you're a lawyer as well.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I know, okay, a graduate school appeal instead of going
to a lot of school.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Okay, well, master's and urban.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Affairs and of administration, so.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Okay, well, look, look, I'm an absolutist in the First Amendment.
But however, however, I don't have a right to walk
into the Red Sox broadcast booth someday and take over
the microphone. I don't have a right to walk up
to you in the middle of the street and insult
you and your HEROD and your family tree. That's what's
(13:03):
called fighting words. I don't have the right to go
and yell fire, just for the fun of it in
the theater and see how people react. There are limitations.
I can't defame you, you know. There are limitations on
the First Amendment, and this is one that I think
is justified. There's a buffer zone at abortion clinics here
(13:24):
in Massachusetts, which I think most members of the legislature
have supported, so that people want to go in and
avail themselves of the services. However strongly some of the
protesters might disagree. They don't have the right to impede
the person, just as the students at all of these
schools and universities in the last year or so don't
(13:45):
have the right to impede other students. Richard Wells is
my guest, the state representative, former police chief in Milton, Massachusetts.
If all the Democrats were as levelhead as as Richard
Wells would be in a much better shape to stand
that I have. It was me that said It was
me that it said that.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
But I and I think that some of the legislators
in Massachusetts can get off the fence, uh, and they
can go ahead, uh and support you on this one.
Let's let's take a break. I want to get some
phone calls. Can I can you stick with me for
a while here and take some phone calls there? Yeah, yeah,
six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty six one seven, nine, three,
one ten thirty. Coming right back on Knightside of State
(14:27):
Representative Richard Wells with the piece of legislation that I
think is long overdue.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm telling you Bes Boston's
News Radio.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
All right, we're going to try to get to as
many people as possible. I think this is a piece
of legislation that is long overdue. With me as state
Representative Richard Wells represents, do you represent the entire town
of Milton or do you have other.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Other Milton and a big piece of Randolphs as well.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Okay, two great towns. Let's go Tom. Tom, you were
next on night Side with Richard Wells talking about the
idea of a Halo Act.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
Go right ahead, Hey, Dan, I just want to inform
you I changed my voter registration in twenty twenty. I
own two pieces of property, one in Brockton, Massachusetts, one
in West Virginia, Massachusetts. I gave up on a change
(15:26):
voter registration. However, I'm going to change it back to Massachusetts.
I support this legislation, and can I mention my state
rep in Brockton about the George Floyd police reform about uh.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Stay community, I'd rather stay talking.
Speaker 6 (15:47):
About Dan Dan All right, well I won't I won't digress,
thank you. But here's the bottom line. We we need
to have police officers and firemen and emergency medics that
don't need armchair quarterbacks screaming up at them at the
(16:10):
time of there's an incident that gets settled in a
court of law, and I would support this. I am
going to tell you one thing. When I reregister in
the state of Massachusetts, I will register as an unenrolled
and there is absolutely no way I'm going to vote
(16:32):
for my current state representative who will remain nameless, as
well as the current sitting governor, because in my opinion, look,
all right, I'm done. I'm done with the Democratic Party.
That's all I can tell you.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
This is a Democrat who is supporting this piece of legislation.
Just remember that Tom Saalo to forman Milton police.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
Hang on, hang on. This is one Democrat that has
some common sense that is not the case and the
majority of Democrats in Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
You got it, You got it. Thank you. Tom Richard,
I got to take a newsbreak here. Stick with me.
I want to get some other points of view on this.
I think I want to get people back to the
to the issue at hand, and that is the Halo Act,
a twenty five foot barffer zone around police, firefighters or
e mts as they are attempting to execute their office,
(17:36):
whether it's arresting someone, helping someone, aiding someone. We should
we should all understand that we're not the people who
were called into life saving situations. We're not called into
situations to disarm somebody who has a knife for a
gun in a crowd. Let the police do their job.
(17:57):
If they overreact. There's plenty of police officers who have
lost their jobs as a consequence and as a result.
I think police today are better trained and probably better
behaved than police have ever been in the history of
this country. And you keep pushing them and pushing them
(18:17):
and pushing them, and now make them the subject of
abuse to which they have no protection. That gets real dangerous.
We'll take a quick break back with State Representative Richard Wells. Folks,
I want to hear you on this. The only line
that is open right now if you want to get
through is six one, seven ninety coming right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
All right, my guess State Representative Richard Wells he along
with a Republican colleague, have filed a pretty simple piece
of legislation called the Halo Act. And I hope that
people here in Massachusetts, even in our legislatus, will realize
that this could could prevent injuries not only to police officers, firefighters,
(19:09):
and EMTs, but also to civilians. It's this, this will
only take the temperature down, Steven Cambridge. Steve, to me,
this is a no brain of what says Dan High.
Speaker 7 (19:22):
Representative Wells Well, I mean one of the problems is
this is in a public space. It's not in a
doctor's office or a private space. So and in addition
to that, I mean I can see a problem with
how do you know that what twenty five feet is?
And I guess my last question or comment would be
(19:45):
for the representative. I assume this does not have anything
to do with speech. This is merely people can must
be twenty five feet away, but they can hurl. Not
that I approve of it, but nonetheless we do have
a First Amendment.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Of course they do.
Speaker 7 (20:02):
They can hurrow as many insults as they wish as
long as they're twenty five feet away.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Is that correct, Yes, Richard, that's correct. That's correct. So
I know a little bit about your city. That's correct.
This has nothing I mean, I'll be very bud. I
say this publicly in my classes of sent us and speeches.
There are no greater protectors of the United States Constitution,
including the First Amendment, than those in the front line
(20:30):
who to do it every single day. And again, you
can videotape from twenty five feet away. You can, as
I said, this case on the boss, the case and
I referred to from a couple of weeks ago. I mean,
they were in his face, calling him. I don't know
how he kept his composure. It goes to the just
how well trained he's done A women are today. But no,
(20:51):
it would not affect speech. But it would not just
be in a public place. If you were in a
doctor let's say something happened. Emergency departments are where things
happen all too frequently. Now it could, It would be depending,
but it would. There are two key aspects to it. A.
The officers in the in the in the courts of
some type of duty action, the other responders have taken
(21:12):
some type of action, and b they make verbal notice
of you to stand back, you know, twenty five feet
with a with a day with a favorite. I don't
know if they'd be able, but being able to tell
them to stand back and stay twenty five feet away
would be a lawful lot. And you know, and to
the point of the other issues in first generational protests
(21:33):
take place each and every day. I mean the stadeoffs.
We am outside of Cambridge, Boston. You've seen countless protests
since the attacks in Israel two years ago now and
very rarely do alloted for us or make any arrests
or any castle raises at all. And this is only
again why you're in the courts of taking some type
(21:54):
of action, be it saving someone's life or taking someone
into customer.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
See what what what do you think think about abortion
clinic buffer zones?
Speaker 7 (22:05):
No, I think they're reasonable. Of course, you know Dan
that the Supreme Court unanimously struck down a Massachusetts law
where they had the buffer zones the Supreme Court felt
were unreasonable and violated the Amendment.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
I'm aware of that, but but I don't think twenty
five feet is a reasonable district.
Speaker 7 (22:26):
I mean, twenty five the law sounds great to me.
I think it's a shame that we even think we
need such a law, and I think it's a shame.
And I think for people to hurl insults at first
responders is terrible. But unfortunately that is part of the part.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
That's part of the first part of.
Speaker 7 (22:47):
The bad with the good we get from a first Amendment.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Yeah, what to say, the vast majority of it is
absolutely good. Again, if you and I are walking down
the street and I happened to bump into you inadvertently, ever,
and if I say, gee, I'm really sorry, you don't
then have a right to get right in my face
you look at me. You do this again? If that's
called fighting words, you can't do that. Okay, now you
know more?
Speaker 8 (23:11):
Question Dan and Rep.
Speaker 7 (23:14):
Well, has any other jurisdiction tried this Florida?
Speaker 4 (23:19):
Oh? Is that right?
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Past and past?
Speaker 7 (23:23):
How long has it been in effect?
Speaker 5 (23:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I believe he two years and it's something.
Speaker 7 (23:28):
They haven't had any problems with it to your knowledge.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
At some point someone will will will challenge it, and
it's then up to the courts to decide and if
they feel twenty five Look the bottom lines. You know,
when you're doing something and you're concentrating on anything in
your home and someone has to kind of be looking
over your shoulder to make sure that you're you're cooking
this right, or you're aware of their presence, and it's
(23:54):
distracting when you're trying to save someone's life or you're
trying to handcuff someone. You don't need someone over your should. Well,
that's to me, this is a no brainer, Steve.
Speaker 7 (24:02):
But well, it certainly sounds very reasonable to me. But again,
it's a shame that we even need such a law.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I'm with you, thanks man, We'll talk to him.
Speaker 7 (24:09):
Okay, thank you.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Let me go to a responder, Scott and Quincy, who
I know is an EMT responder. Go ahead, Scott, Dan.
Speaker 9 (24:19):
I think this law is a is a really good idea,
and I think it needs to be implemented. The one
thing I would say is, you know it uses twenty
five feet as a number. There are a lot of
people who would be challenged to understand where twenty five
(24:39):
feet twenty five foot line would be. I might want
to rephrase it like three, three or four body lengths.
You know, yeah you could.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
But if you could come up with something like that,
and that would be fine. But the idea is you
don't have someone who is hovering over an e M
T as they're trying to resuscitate someone. Or a firefighter
who is trying to, you know, direct the hose toward
a fire. You don't need someone say won't you won't
(25:12):
you point it over there? I think there's more flames
going out of that wind though, you know, I mean,
that's that's what you know. Or a police officer who's
trying to effectuate an arrest and and the guy who's
trying to arrest is drunk and so on, three of
his buddies and his buddies are gonna come over and
we're going we're not gonna let adrest off pal tonight Oway. Guys.
(25:33):
Now you've got a very dangerous situation going on. I just.
Speaker 9 (25:37):
And ask the representative what type of an exception there
might be for the say a say a child is
down and the mother comes running up again.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
You know, police officers will use they're not going to
arrest the mother if a child Go ahead, representative.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
Go ahead. Thomit sense is something that dictates. As you know,
if you're an EMT comment sense comes into so many
particularly critical situations. That's completely I mean, I'm sure you've
been to an incident where as young child has heard
tapis fighting for their life. Good taking care of the
(26:13):
parents and having to deal with frantic parents. This part
of the profession. This is completely completely I like this
is about someone who intentionally is trying to interfere with
you to keep you from performing your duties.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
A great, great question. Thank you very much. That's a
good one. Appreciate it. Thank you. Stay safe, Scott. We'll
take a quick break only line is six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty back with State Representative Richard Wells of Milton, Massachusetts.
Coming back after this.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Way Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
So far, you have a lot of support on this virtue.
Let's keep rolling, John and Boston. John next on nice
Side with state Representative Richard Wells.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
Go ahead, John, Thanks Dan, Thank you Representative Wealth. I
think it's a great idea Representative. I've talked. I've been
on in Boston, seen police, just a couple of officers
walking on a beat and kids, especially in the summertime,
like teenage kids, they get a rise out of circling
the cops. I started rolling, circling the cops as they're
(27:18):
walking on harassing them, taunting just for fun. I've talked
to many firefighters. They get on their bikes or in
the schools while they're fighting fires, or while they're on
UH someone in an accent and they're circling, taunting and
harassing them. This has got to stop because the police
officers trying to arrest someone they don't know if the
guy's got a gun and someone's distracting them or taunting
(27:38):
them and the guy pulls out a gun or knife
in a taxi officer right now, I believe you had
the chief police are on the last year, Dan, listen,
I know it listened to you ago. Boston is short
four hundred police officers right now.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
That has been what Larry called a road in. The
Boston Police Patrolman's Association has kind of claimed yeah, which
I think it's true. I think it's very true that
that even had a tough time getting offering jobs to
UH to officers and other departments, including giving them signing bonuses.
It's been tough. It's tough. To get someone to be
(28:11):
a police officer. These days, they when all.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
The cameras around Boston on any given day, you'll see
this kind of thing going on. I've see this so
many times on bikes, just kids harassing cops. They think
it's fun in the summer time. Whatever they're doing. Gangs,
you know, and talk to any any firefight, any department
of the city of Boston. I'm sure what the cameras
that must be on cameras all over the city. They
must be any given day you'll see it happening. So
(28:37):
it's it's got to stop because it's endangering And I
think it's a good idea, Dan, what would you do it.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
One of the things is that a lot of the
groups that do this, you know, are coming from one
side of the political aisle. But then you got the
folks the j six people who went into the Capitol
and and and attacked capitol police officers and smashed property,
and they were, you know, from the other side, the
other extreme. So there are extremists on both ends of
the spectrum here. Who who The one thing they have
(29:05):
in common is they tend not to respect authority and
they tend not to like police. Fire or e mts,
unless it's their own house that's on fire, or their
own house that's been broken into, their own family member
who needs a burgency assistance.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
Well, the only difference to that jan in January sixth,
there were officers undercover offices. Welcoming to the police officers.
Welcome Capital Office, Welcome to January sixth.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
People. Again, all I'm just saying there were a lot
of people who struck. There were a lot of people
who struck police officers. I'm just saying is that the
violent reaction has come in different directions, that's all. And
no one should be violent or a police officer. If
I'm going to be arrested by a police officer, I'm
gonna say, cuff me and we'll see you in court.
As simple as that. Thanks, John, appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
It's it's a great lot. Thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Okay, so far it's been unanimous. Let me go to Chris,
down to the cave. Chris, you're next on Nice with
State Representative Richard Wells. Go ahead, Chris, Yes, hello, yes,
you're here. Yeah, we can hear you. Find your right ahead,
I said earlier. You're on the air with State Representative
Richard Wells of Milton, go right ahead.
Speaker 8 (30:11):
Yeah, it's a great Yeah, it's a great overture that
is greatly needed. But twenty five feet I'm looking in
my home, which is forty feet wide. Twenty five feet
is like really nothing. And we do have on the books,
and I'm not trying to minimize the effect here, but
(30:33):
we have a disorderly conduct statue Chapter two seventy two
that could be I think implemented in the event that
public safety is at risk here, and I'm wondering in
order for that, let.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Me just can I speak to you as a lawyer, Chris.
In order for a disorderly conduct charge to actually take
the person's going to have to be engaged in conduct
which would be disorderly. It would have to get to
the point where they would really have to be in
the officer or the firefighter of the empty's face and
(31:09):
almost come nose to nose with them. Because but if
some goofball decides to come over.
Speaker 10 (31:15):
Hey, what's going on here? Looks like you're arresting someone.
Why is this guy being arrested? You know that police
officer has to focus on the arrest that's being made
that's not disorderly contact. Now you could get to disorderly contact.
But in the meantime, when the officer's you know, attention
is distracted, that could be the moment where somebody could
(31:36):
pull out a knife or something. And it's not as
if it was intentional by the guy that's coming over.
It's just it's like the person who when you're driving
and all of a sudden, traffic is backed up and
you realize there's no accident on your side of the road,
the accidents on the other side of the road, but
so many people have to slow down. Hey, Muriel, there's
(32:00):
a car accident over there. Let's take a good look.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You know. It's like that's this human nature, unfortunately, and
I think it also works with police and firefighters and empts.
Were trying to do their job and someone's walking down
the street, give them the opportunity to steer clear of them.
That's all we're saying. Go ahead, Chris, I interrupted you.
I didn't mean to go right ahead.
Speaker 8 (32:24):
No, No, that's that's quite all right. I think I
agree with all the points, and I agree with the
intent purpose of the proposed statute, but twenty five feet
seems to be you know, kind of even even there.
It's kind of close, and I'm coming into the conversation late.
I'm sorry, that's.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Okay, thank you, thank you for calling. Well yet Richard, Well,
let's get Richard, who's the sponsor of the one of
the two sponsored legislation, to react to that. I think
that they tried to.
Speaker 5 (32:55):
Pick I just have one other question that I I
won't have.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
To I won't we won't hang out. Let's just get
a quick call on him. I assume you picked twenty
five feet Richard, to make it so it wasn't onerous,
You're not.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Going to right reasonable and just to comment on his
the disorderly you know, I listen, I'm gonna use the
fire slidus or fire chiefs make good description the other
day of when a piece of fire apparatus comes what's on,
and he described it as a big toolbox with all
different types of things for all types of incidents, and
the same one the police officer comes. They have all
(33:25):
different tools that they had description to use. This is
not the intention of this law was not to arrest
more people who used to make it a criminal offense,
to deter individuals who think it has now become almost
a sport. Actively interfere and engage. Maybe sometimes it could
(33:46):
go to a level disorderly, but just to do it,
it's kind of like you described it with him, to
get right in their face, whether in their performance and
their duties, and to refuse to move and ask to
do so.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
And it also distracts from what you're trying to accomplish,
which is maybe arrest someone, maybe save someone's life. You
had one other question. I'm sorry, Chris, I want to
get this one in for you. Go ahead.
Speaker 8 (34:09):
I know that there are other statutes. I mean, I've
seen people sort of draft emergency vehicles and the crowded,
congestive traffic situation to get to where they want to
go earlier. But I believe there's one hundred foot setback
on that.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
I just know.
Speaker 8 (34:29):
I'm just not it's either one hundred and then a
fire five hundred feet. How do these sort of offset
one another? And I know it's an additional two million
tool box. And I'm offended by the reports of people
getting in the face of people of e MT police
(34:49):
and fire trying to do their job, particularly if they're
saving trying to save somebody.
Speaker 5 (34:54):
And I certainly with you with.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Fire engines, with fire engines is a different situation because
it's a vehicle. The ability for a vehicle to stop
it takes uh, you know enough you know distance fire
engines going into high rate of speed, someone's drafting behind
them and the fire engine has to stop, and that
person isn't paying attention. So that's a whole different story.
This is people who are intentionally trying to interfere with
(35:18):
what an officer, firefighter at EMT is trying to accomplish.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
So on, all my comments are meant to be is
to you.
Speaker 8 (35:27):
Know, sort of put out there or devil's advocate. What
might be some issues in the opposition Number one, I
am fully supportive of it. But one issue, maybe you
talked about it earlier.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
But what Chris, we've done. We've done five minutes, Chris
have done five.
Speaker 5 (35:45):
What is a penalty? That's all I wanted to know
for this.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
It could be between I think up to five hundred
dollars on a first offense and up to one thousand
on a second. But the police don't determine the penalty
that a judge of court would.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Yeah, fair enough, all right, thanks Chris, I got to run.
You had to listen earlier, Okay, thank you very much.
Thank you real quick. Darryl in New Brunswick. Darryl, I'm
killed on time.
Speaker 11 (36:08):
Here go right ahead, Hey, Dan represented wells a great
bill to put forward. It's you're talking about first Amendment.
So therefore people in the all the different emergency services
fields have to good have good hearing. So therefore your
bill would go forward. Two vehicles would be equivalent to
(36:31):
twenty five feet. So if people cannot comprehend that one
being a police officer in Edmonton when you're doing crowd control,
I got stabbed multiple times and nobody came forward to
help him. So therefore this would assist other officers and
other emergency service people to outch the act and be
(36:53):
in the right all.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Right, we got that, Darrel. Appreciate the information. Always good
to talk with you. Thank you much. Richie, it was
great to talk with you tonight. Thanks for sticking around.
Please say he to Pauline for me.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
I want one final problem. I do want to say
going into the State House is a police officer. I
am beyond humble the number of reps and colleagues that
have come to me. I didn't go there to do
police any things. I don't even thought of filing this bill,
but the ones that have asked me so many questions
about police you only went through police reform prior to
me getting there for a post state. Now I'm really
(37:30):
I'm so grateful to how much help and how many
questions and how much trust placed into me as a
former police officer, just asking me questions about issues in
the common wealth, and that gives me hope and that
we may be able to pass the Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
Well, I appreciate anything that I can do. Please let
the other representative know there'll be more than happy to
have you back.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Okay, thank you much, Dan, thank you.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
This is one that I'd be proud to have your
name on it. Thank you so much. All right, when
we get back, thanks Richard. When we get back, we're
going to talk about a Supreme Court decision today that
has basically stripped Venzuelan's of their temporary protected status here
in this country. We will talk about that right after
the news at ten o'clock.
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z
Boston Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thank you very much, Dan Watkins. Want to talk tonight
with someone who have known for a long time. He's
the former chief of police in Milton, Massachusetts. Currently now
he represents that fine community at the state House state
Representative Richard Wells. Representative Wells, welcome to NIGHTSID.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
How are you believing, my friend?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
How are you Dan doing? Great? Richard? You're a Democrat
in the majority up there, but you're working with a
Republican from another part of the state, Uh, which Marty
Eggs areus? I believe how we represent from yah Republican.
(00:51):
The common ally that that you have is that Representative
Zarius uh has spent forty years in the the Armouth
Police Department. And what we're concerned about, frankly, is a
piece of legislation that I know was adopted in Florida.
Has it been adopted in any other states that you're
(01:11):
aware of?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I'm not aware of it. It was adopted in Flarta
I bloemd just before I entered the legislature, which was
that the year I'm a freshman up and it was
adopted last year, right, be honestly, It's not something I
have a thought of, but it's badly what a point
then in the career and a first professional first responders
(01:33):
was something I needs to be enacted.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Well, I mean, we saw some craziness in Worcester the
other day. I think back to what went on in
the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis
and in other cities around the country a few years
ago Seattle, there was a period of time where they
had a zone out there, so called autonomous zone. Here
(01:58):
in Boston police office have been confronted not only in
demonstrations at night by the Boston common but there was
a demonstration a few years ago when some of the
right wing knuckleheads wanted to have a march in downtown
Boston and they were doing something at the bandstand, and
(02:19):
the police were there to simply protect their right to
express themselves and a lot of folks ended up in
confrontations with the police. Firefighters in New York City have
been pelted with bottles at different times when they have
tried to respond to fires, and I'm sure there are
other instances that I can't recall on If there's anything
(02:39):
that you want to add to it, being a first responder,
a police officer, a firefighter, or an EMT can be
First of all, it's very serious business. It's dangerous business,
and if you have to have eyes in the back
of your head, that can cause real problems. Would this
piece of legislation would do It would protect officers from
(03:05):
people interfering with them as they're attempting to, you know,
to do their job. You describe it better than me,
but feel free to let our listeners know what you
think the legislature should pass so clearly.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
You know, my life has been dedicated to the professional
policing and I'm very humble to now be a member
of the Master's' Legislature. It's next to being a cop,
which is probably the thing I identify with the most professionally.
I find what takes place in the legislature each and
every day among so many men and women to be
(03:44):
truly honorable work. You know, you may not always agree
whether I'm a nortre. They listen to everyone to watch
them the door, and that's that's pretty admirable. But in
the Hail Act. Since I retired from the police department
almost eight years ago, I've been working as a police
trainer for the karmawealth of them for police training communion.
I've traveled, I travel extensively across the callon Wealth, teaching
(04:05):
the police academies in all the various regions. But the
halo actors created because even though police officers understand today
when they walk out the door, you know, not only
are they wearing a body camera probably now, but they're
on camera every day, you know, everywhere the issues that's
happened now with touch a degree of frequency, it's almost
(04:27):
become a sport. Is that when an officer or a firefighter. Recently,
I watched the case where two fire ms personnel working
I think was a stabbing victim, was a very hectic
at night seeing they were trying to and people were
just harassing them, getting in their face, taunting them, and
the camera sometimes is part of it. Sometimes it isn't
(04:47):
you know, officers first response as they say it used
to being videotaped. This has nothing to do with the
first amount of videotaping people. But when you get to
the point that you're active, actively interfering with them in
the course of their duty, the point that someone could
get hurt or potentially lose their life. That's where there
has to be some type of deterrent, you know, as
it's something that's going to be used every day. No,
(05:09):
but and I'll bring it in. Just look at and
I probably took six or eight incidents just from the
Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Boston just this most reached
of March, and there were so many incidents that I
couldn't even count, to the point that it was you,
the media who was reporting on these incidents. That's how
they came to mind, or that's how I started to
pay attention to them.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
So what you're saying at the Saint Patrick's Day parade,
some people were disorderly and police officers approach him, and
I assume you're describing a situation where the crowd then
turns on the police.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Well, this is even more than that. This is where
the officers are now decided to take an action where
they're either trying to disperse someone, lose someonere actually and
too often is where they go to have to make
an arrest and go to take someone into custody. And
that's where many of these cases are. From the point
of a first responders, they start to work on someone else,
(06:02):
they're trying to take action and they're suddenly surrounded where
people are right in their face, tous and them. I
don't know if you saw that video a couple of
weeks ago to Boston police officer doing nothing, just assigned
to a scene whose standing is completely surrounded, taking no
action at all, just being harassed, called every name in
the book, just as they say. It's I'm a sport
(06:23):
and you know we have twenty mine hours school zones.
In a speedless in the school zone is a deterrent
to speeding badly would come to the point where there
has to be some type of determ. It's not in
arresting offense. It's a fine, and it only would would
kick in after being ordered by the first responder to
get back to stand back.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
While that is the analogy for me, representative is you
and I go to a ballgame at Fenway Park and
we think to ourselves, you know, I could do a
better job than that third base coach. So I'm going
to jump onto the field. I'm not going to interfere
with anybody, but I'm just gonna stand next to a
third base coach and when somebody you know, hits a double,
I can wave the runner in or you know, I
(07:07):
mean that sounds like a like a crazy idea, but
obviously that third base coach is gonna wait, who are you?
What are you doing here? Or you know, I'm going
to walk into some doctor's office and when the doctor
is calling the next patient in, I'll walk in with
the next patient and just say, gee, doc, I want
to see how good a job you do. I mean
(07:28):
that this is insane. I mean, you know, or when
there's a fire, maybe I want to climb up the
fire ladder and see what it's like to go up
that fire ladder and feel the heat of those flames
coming out the window. I mean, there are people who
were just I hate to use a technical term here representative,
but there are people who were nuts, you know. I
(07:52):
mean it's like the guy that runs out on the
football field in the middle of a Patriots game and
you know, some linebacker decides to knock him down. I mean,
the you know what, right, just because you buy a
ticket to a sporting event doesn't mean you could run
out onto the field. We all understand that. And just
because you happen to be in a neighborhood and come
upon a police officer or an EMT or a firefighter
(08:13):
doing their job. You don't have a right to crowd
them and to distract from them as they're doing their job,
any more than you have the right of walking into
an operating room while surgery is going on and say, well, look,
I want to scrub up here. I want to watch
the surgeon make sure he doesn't make a mistake. People
are nuts. People are nuts. How tough is it going
to be to get the legislature to get behind something
(08:35):
like this, Richard, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
I did look today.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
I was.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
I mean, I'm brand new, and I understand I'm brand new.
I'm not a chief and the legislature. I'm not the
chair of the selectable, and I am a freshman legislator
who I describe very much in an active apprenticeship, trying
to learn things every day. I am. I know that,
as you know, to pass legislature is a very difficult
(09:04):
ill amount of climb, maybe amount of climb I'm mature,
but I do worry that I will say this to you.
You know, I do sit in the Public Safety Committee,
and I every day you meet with different constituencies that
come before you, and one of the things that truly
does bother me today that concerns me, and I felt
this a little before I got there, But it's I mean,
(09:25):
these types of assaults and interferings with not just police officers,
firefighters and EMTs. It's emergency on nurses, mental health worker
is probatient, it's correctionally, it's everywhere. I listened to testimony
a couple of weeks ago from a professional medical group
(09:47):
that like one every twenty seconds a hospital workers assaulted
in a hospital in the common Like that's who think
that would even be, you know, a possibility. But I
often say in my causes that I teach in the
police and my dad is the greatest terry nation. A
lowatu guy or the police department. In nineteen forty nine,
(10:08):
he was issued a revolver, a six bullets, a pair
of handcuffs, and a twelve in nightstick. About a year later,
I think he went to the police academy for two weeks.
In nineteen eighty four, I came on the job, I
was issued to revolve a speed over as a can
of pepper spray, and I was the police academy for
(10:29):
twelve weeks. Today, a police officer in the United States
come into the profession that issued everything from a body
camera to a pistol to the days that all these things,
all types of equipment, and they go to the police
academy almost over six months now, you nor I any legislation.
None of us made that happen. That's the complexity of society.
(10:53):
And look at I wish they didn't have to be
a Hale act, but I've watched so many of these incidents,
and the officers and the first responders, the firefighters, the
mts have to have some type of ability. It's not
the nice You want a videotape, videotape, videotape from twenty
five feet a window, don't be five inches from their face.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Yeah, well, that's the point with the camera.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Just don't do it.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
That's why you need this piece of legislation. What my
concern is is that the legislature does not prioritize not
only the safety of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, but also
prioritize the safety of individual citizens. I mean, the problems
(11:38):
like this can occur at the drop of a hat.
You had that guy who went into a Chick fil
A was it last January on Boylston Straight and got
into a gunfight with an off duty police officer. I'm
sure the police officer didn't start the gunfight. He finished it,
But I didn't start the gunfight. Just don't know. There
(12:01):
are a lot of people out there who feel as
if they have the authority to basically take control of
a situation, and I just hope the legislature doesn't look
at this as some sort of a piece of legislation
which is going to prohibit or restrict First Amendment activities
of individuals, all of us who are lawyers, and I
(12:25):
believe you're a lawyer as well.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I know, okay, a graduate school appeal instead of going
to a lot of school.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Okay, well, master's and urban.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Affairs and of administration, so.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Okay, well, look, look, I'm an absolutist in the First Amendment.
But however, however, I don't have a right to walk
into the Red Sox broadcast booth someday and take over
the microphone. I don't have a right to walk up
to you in the middle of the street and insult
you and your HEROD and your family tree. That's what's
(13:03):
called fighting words. I don't have the right to go
and yell fire, just for the fun of it in
the theater and see how people react. There are limitations.
I can't defame you, you know. There are limitations on
the First Amendment, and this is one that I think
is justified. There's a buffer zone at abortion clinics here
(13:24):
in Massachusetts, which I think most members of the legislature
have supported, so that people want to go in and
avail themselves of the services. However strongly some of the
protesters might disagree. They don't have the right to impede
the person, just as the students at all of these
schools and universities in the last year or so don't
(13:45):
have the right to impede other students. Richard Wells is
my guest, the state representative, former police chief in Milton, Massachusetts.
If all the Democrats were as levelhead as as Richard
Wells would be in a much better shape to stand
that I have. It was me that said It was
me that it said that.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
But I and I think that some of the legislators
in Massachusetts can get off the fence, uh, and they
can go ahead, uh and support you on this one.
Let's let's take a break. I want to get some
phone calls. Can I can you stick with me for
a while here and take some phone calls there? Yeah, yeah,
six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty six one seven, nine, three,
one ten thirty. Coming right back on Knightside of State
(14:27):
Representative Richard Wells with the piece of legislation that I
think is long overdue.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm telling you Bes Boston's
News Radio.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
All right, we're going to try to get to as
many people as possible. I think this is a piece
of legislation that is long overdue. With me as state
Representative Richard Wells represents, do you represent the entire town
of Milton or do you have other.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Other Milton and a big piece of Randolphs as well.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Okay, two great towns. Let's go Tom. Tom, you were
next on night Side with Richard Wells talking about the
idea of a Halo Act.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
Go right ahead, Hey, Dan, I just want to inform
you I changed my voter registration in twenty twenty. I
own two pieces of property, one in Brockton, Massachusetts, one
in West Virginia, Massachusetts. I gave up on a change
(15:26):
voter registration. However, I'm going to change it back to Massachusetts.
I support this legislation, and can I mention my state
rep in Brockton about the George Floyd police reform about uh.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Stay community, I'd rather stay talking.
Speaker 6 (15:47):
About Dan Dan All right, well I won't I won't digress,
thank you. But here's the bottom line. We we need
to have police officers and firemen and emergency medics that
don't need armchair quarterbacks screaming up at them at the
(16:10):
time of there's an incident that gets settled in a
court of law, and I would support this. I am
going to tell you one thing. When I reregister in
the state of Massachusetts, I will register as an unenrolled
and there is absolutely no way I'm going to vote
(16:32):
for my current state representative who will remain nameless, as
well as the current sitting governor, because in my opinion, look,
all right, I'm done. I'm done with the Democratic Party.
That's all I can tell you.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
This is a Democrat who is supporting this piece of legislation.
Just remember that Tom Saalo to forman Milton police.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
Hang on, hang on. This is one Democrat that has
some common sense that is not the case and the
majority of Democrats in Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
You got it, You got it. Thank you. Tom Richard,
I got to take a newsbreak here. Stick with me.
I want to get some other points of view on this.
I think I want to get people back to the
to the issue at hand, and that is the Halo Act,
a twenty five foot barffer zone around police, firefighters or
e mts as they are attempting to execute their office,
(17:36):
whether it's arresting someone, helping someone, aiding someone. We should
we should all understand that we're not the people who
were called into life saving situations. We're not called into
situations to disarm somebody who has a knife for a
gun in a crowd. Let the police do their job.
(17:57):
If they overreact. There's plenty of police officers who have
lost their jobs as a consequence and as a result.
I think police today are better trained and probably better
behaved than police have ever been in the history of
this country. And you keep pushing them and pushing them
(18:17):
and pushing them, and now make them the subject of
abuse to which they have no protection. That gets real dangerous.
We'll take a quick break back with State Representative Richard Wells. Folks,
I want to hear you on this. The only line
that is open right now if you want to get
through is six one, seven ninety coming right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
All right, my guess State Representative Richard Wells he along
with a Republican colleague, have filed a pretty simple piece
of legislation called the Halo Act. And I hope that
people here in Massachusetts, even in our legislatus, will realize
that this could could prevent injuries not only to police officers, firefighters,
(19:09):
and EMTs, but also to civilians. It's this, this will
only take the temperature down, Steven Cambridge. Steve, to me,
this is a no brain of what says Dan High.
Speaker 7 (19:22):
Representative Wells Well, I mean one of the problems is
this is in a public space. It's not in a
doctor's office or a private space. So and in addition
to that, I mean I can see a problem with
how do you know that what twenty five feet is?
And I guess my last question or comment would be
(19:45):
for the representative. I assume this does not have anything
to do with speech. This is merely people can must
be twenty five feet away, but they can hurl. Not
that I approve of it, but nonetheless we do have
a First Amendment.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Of course they do.
Speaker 7 (20:02):
They can hurrow as many insults as they wish as
long as they're twenty five feet away.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Is that correct, Yes, Richard, that's correct. That's correct. So
I know a little bit about your city. That's correct.
This has nothing I mean, I'll be very bud. I
say this publicly in my classes of sent us and speeches.
There are no greater protectors of the United States Constitution,
including the First Amendment, than those in the front line
(20:30):
who to do it every single day. And again, you
can videotape from twenty five feet away. You can, as
I said, this case on the boss, the case and
I referred to from a couple of weeks ago. I mean,
they were in his face, calling him. I don't know
how he kept his composure. It goes to the just
how well trained he's done A women are today. But no,
(20:51):
it would not affect speech. But it would not just
be in a public place. If you were in a
doctor let's say something happened. Emergency departments are where things
happen all too frequently. Now it could, It would be depending,
but it would. There are two key aspects to it. A.
The officers in the in the in the courts of
some type of duty action, the other responders have taken
(21:12):
some type of action, and b they make verbal notice
of you to stand back, you know, twenty five feet
with a with a day with a favorite. I don't
know if they'd be able, but being able to tell
them to stand back and stay twenty five feet away
would be a lawful lot. And you know, and to
the point of the other issues in first generational protests
(21:33):
take place each and every day. I mean the stadeoffs.
We am outside of Cambridge, Boston. You've seen countless protests
since the attacks in Israel two years ago now and
very rarely do alloted for us or make any arrests
or any castle raises at all. And this is only
again why you're in the courts of taking some type
(21:54):
of action, be it saving someone's life or taking someone
into customer.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
See what what what do you think think about abortion
clinic buffer zones?
Speaker 7 (22:05):
No, I think they're reasonable. Of course, you know Dan
that the Supreme Court unanimously struck down a Massachusetts law
where they had the buffer zones the Supreme Court felt
were unreasonable and violated the Amendment.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
I'm aware of that, but but I don't think twenty
five feet is a reasonable district.
Speaker 7 (22:26):
I mean, twenty five the law sounds great to me.
I think it's a shame that we even think we
need such a law, and I think it's a shame.
And I think for people to hurl insults at first
responders is terrible. But unfortunately that is part of the part.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
That's part of the first part of.
Speaker 7 (22:47):
The bad with the good we get from a first Amendment.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Yeah, what to say, the vast majority of it is
absolutely good. Again, if you and I are walking down
the street and I happened to bump into you inadvertently, ever,
and if I say, gee, I'm really sorry, you don't
then have a right to get right in my face
you look at me. You do this again? If that's
called fighting words, you can't do that. Okay, now you
know more?
Speaker 8 (23:11):
Question Dan and Rep.
Speaker 7 (23:14):
Well, has any other jurisdiction tried this Florida?
Speaker 4 (23:19):
Oh? Is that right?
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Past and past?
Speaker 7 (23:23):
How long has it been in effect?
Speaker 5 (23:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I believe he two years and it's something.
Speaker 7 (23:28):
They haven't had any problems with it to your knowledge.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
At some point someone will will will challenge it, and
it's then up to the courts to decide and if
they feel twenty five Look the bottom lines. You know,
when you're doing something and you're concentrating on anything in
your home and someone has to kind of be looking
over your shoulder to make sure that you're you're cooking
this right, or you're aware of their presence, and it's
(23:54):
distracting when you're trying to save someone's life or you're
trying to handcuff someone. You don't need someone over your should. Well,
that's to me, this is a no brainer, Steve.
Speaker 7 (24:02):
But well, it certainly sounds very reasonable to me. But again,
it's a shame that we even need such a law.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I'm with you, thanks man, We'll talk to him.
Speaker 7 (24:09):
Okay, thank you.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Let me go to a responder, Scott and Quincy, who
I know is an EMT responder. Go ahead, Scott, Dan.
Speaker 9 (24:19):
I think this law is a is a really good idea,
and I think it needs to be implemented. The one
thing I would say is, you know it uses twenty
five feet as a number. There are a lot of
people who would be challenged to understand where twenty five
(24:39):
feet twenty five foot line would be. I might want
to rephrase it like three, three or four body lengths.
You know, yeah you could.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
But if you could come up with something like that,
and that would be fine. But the idea is you
don't have someone who is hovering over an e M
T as they're trying to resuscitate someone. Or a firefighter
who is trying to, you know, direct the hose toward
a fire. You don't need someone say won't you won't
(25:12):
you point it over there? I think there's more flames
going out of that wind though, you know, I mean,
that's that's what you know. Or a police officer who's
trying to effectuate an arrest and and the guy who's
trying to arrest is drunk and so on, three of
his buddies and his buddies are gonna come over and
we're going we're not gonna let adrest off pal tonight Oway. Guys.
(25:33):
Now you've got a very dangerous situation going on. I just.
Speaker 9 (25:37):
And ask the representative what type of an exception there
might be for the say a say a child is
down and the mother comes running up again.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
You know, police officers will use they're not going to
arrest the mother if a child Go ahead, representative.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
Go ahead. Thomit sense is something that dictates. As you know,
if you're an EMT comment sense comes into so many
particularly critical situations. That's completely I mean, I'm sure you've
been to an incident where as young child has heard
tapis fighting for their life. Good taking care of the
(26:13):
parents and having to deal with frantic parents. This part
of the profession. This is completely completely I like this
is about someone who intentionally is trying to interfere with
you to keep you from performing your duties.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
A great, great question. Thank you very much. That's a
good one. Appreciate it. Thank you. Stay safe, Scott. We'll
take a quick break only line is six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty back with State Representative Richard Wells of Milton, Massachusetts.
Coming back after this.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Way Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
So far, you have a lot of support on this virtue.
Let's keep rolling, John and Boston. John next on nice
Side with state Representative Richard Wells.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
Go ahead, John, Thanks Dan, Thank you Representative Wealth. I
think it's a great idea Representative. I've talked. I've been
on in Boston, seen police, just a couple of officers
walking on a beat and kids, especially in the summertime,
like teenage kids, they get a rise out of circling
the cops. I started rolling, circling the cops as they're
(27:18):
walking on harassing them, taunting just for fun. I've talked
to many firefighters. They get on their bikes or in
the schools while they're fighting fires, or while they're on
UH someone in an accent and they're circling, taunting and
harassing them. This has got to stop because the police
officers trying to arrest someone they don't know if the
guy's got a gun and someone's distracting them or taunting
(27:38):
them and the guy pulls out a gun or knife
in a taxi officer right now, I believe you had
the chief police are on the last year, Dan, listen,
I know it listened to you ago. Boston is short
four hundred police officers right now.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
That has been what Larry called a road in. The
Boston Police Patrolman's Association has kind of claimed yeah, which
I think it's true. I think it's very true that
that even had a tough time getting offering jobs to
UH to officers and other departments, including giving them signing bonuses.
It's been tough. It's tough. To get someone to be
(28:11):
a police officer. These days, they when all.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
The cameras around Boston on any given day, you'll see
this kind of thing going on. I've see this so
many times on bikes, just kids harassing cops. They think
it's fun in the summer time. Whatever they're doing. Gangs,
you know, and talk to any any firefight, any department
of the city of Boston. I'm sure what the cameras
that must be on cameras all over the city. They
must be any given day you'll see it happening. So
(28:37):
it's it's got to stop because it's endangering And I
think it's a good idea, Dan, what would you do it.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
One of the things is that a lot of the
groups that do this, you know, are coming from one
side of the political aisle. But then you got the
folks the j six people who went into the Capitol
and and and attacked capitol police officers and smashed property,
and they were, you know, from the other side, the
other extreme. So there are extremists on both ends of
the spectrum here. Who who The one thing they have
(29:05):
in common is they tend not to respect authority and
they tend not to like police. Fire or e mts,
unless it's their own house that's on fire, or their
own house that's been broken into, their own family member
who needs a burgency assistance.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
Well, the only difference to that jan in January sixth,
there were officers undercover offices. Welcoming to the police officers.
Welcome Capital Office, Welcome to January sixth.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
People. Again, all I'm just saying there were a lot
of people who struck. There were a lot of people
who struck police officers. I'm just saying is that the
violent reaction has come in different directions, that's all. And
no one should be violent or a police officer. If
I'm going to be arrested by a police officer, I'm
gonna say, cuff me and we'll see you in court.
As simple as that. Thanks, John, appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
It's it's a great lot. Thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Okay, so far it's been unanimous. Let me go to Chris,
down to the cave. Chris, you're next on Nice with
State Representative Richard Wells. Go ahead, Chris, Yes, hello, yes,
you're here. Yeah, we can hear you. Find your right ahead,
I said earlier. You're on the air with State Representative
Richard Wells of Milton, go right ahead.
Speaker 8 (30:11):
Yeah, it's a great Yeah, it's a great overture that
is greatly needed. But twenty five feet I'm looking in
my home, which is forty feet wide. Twenty five feet
is like really nothing. And we do have on the books,
and I'm not trying to minimize the effect here, but
(30:33):
we have a disorderly conduct statue Chapter two seventy two
that could be I think implemented in the event that
public safety is at risk here, and I'm wondering in
order for that, let.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Me just can I speak to you as a lawyer, Chris.
In order for a disorderly conduct charge to actually take
the person's going to have to be engaged in conduct
which would be disorderly. It would have to get to
the point where they would really have to be in
the officer or the firefighter of the empty's face and
(31:09):
almost come nose to nose with them. Because but if
some goofball decides to come over.
Speaker 10 (31:15):
Hey, what's going on here? Looks like you're arresting someone.
Why is this guy being arrested? You know that police
officer has to focus on the arrest that's being made
that's not disorderly contact. Now you could get to disorderly contact.
But in the meantime, when the officer's you know, attention
is distracted, that could be the moment where somebody could
(31:36):
pull out a knife or something. And it's not as
if it was intentional by the guy that's coming over.
It's just it's like the person who when you're driving
and all of a sudden, traffic is backed up and
you realize there's no accident on your side of the road,
the accidents on the other side of the road, but
so many people have to slow down. Hey, Muriel, there's
(32:00):
a car accident over there. Let's take a good look.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You know. It's like that's this human nature, unfortunately, and
I think it also works with police and firefighters and empts.
Were trying to do their job and someone's walking down
the street, give them the opportunity to steer clear of them.
That's all we're saying. Go ahead, Chris, I interrupted you.
I didn't mean to go right ahead.
Speaker 8 (32:24):
No, No, that's that's quite all right. I think I
agree with all the points, and I agree with the
intent purpose of the proposed statute, but twenty five feet
seems to be you know, kind of even even there.
It's kind of close, and I'm coming into the conversation late.
I'm sorry, that's.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Okay, thank you, thank you for calling. Well yet Richard, Well,
let's get Richard, who's the sponsor of the one of
the two sponsored legislation, to react to that. I think
that they tried to.
Speaker 5 (32:55):
Pick I just have one other question that I I
won't have.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
To I won't we won't hang out. Let's just get
a quick call on him. I assume you picked twenty
five feet Richard, to make it so it wasn't onerous,
You're not.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Going to right reasonable and just to comment on his
the disorderly you know, I listen, I'm gonna use the
fire slidus or fire chiefs make good description the other
day of when a piece of fire apparatus comes what's on,
and he described it as a big toolbox with all
different types of things for all types of incidents, and
the same one the police officer comes. They have all
(33:25):
different tools that they had description to use. This is
not the intention of this law was not to arrest
more people who used to make it a criminal offense,
to deter individuals who think it has now become almost
a sport. Actively interfere and engage. Maybe sometimes it could
(33:46):
go to a level disorderly, but just to do it,
it's kind of like you described it with him, to
get right in their face, whether in their performance and
their duties, and to refuse to move and ask to
do so.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
And it also distracts from what you're trying to accomplish,
which is maybe arrest someone, maybe save someone's life. You
had one other question. I'm sorry, Chris, I want to
get this one in for you. Go ahead.
Speaker 8 (34:09):
I know that there are other statutes. I mean, I've
seen people sort of draft emergency vehicles and the crowded,
congestive traffic situation to get to where they want to
go earlier. But I believe there's one hundred foot setback
on that.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
I just know.
Speaker 8 (34:29):
I'm just not it's either one hundred and then a
fire five hundred feet. How do these sort of offset
one another? And I know it's an additional two million
tool box. And I'm offended by the reports of people
getting in the face of people of e MT police
(34:49):
and fire trying to do their job, particularly if they're
saving trying to save somebody.
Speaker 5 (34:54):
And I certainly with you with.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Fire engines, with fire engines is a different situation because
it's a vehicle. The ability for a vehicle to stop
it takes uh, you know enough you know distance fire
engines going into high rate of speed, someone's drafting behind
them and the fire engine has to stop, and that
person isn't paying attention. So that's a whole different story.
This is people who are intentionally trying to interfere with
(35:18):
what an officer, firefighter at EMT is trying to accomplish.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
So on, all my comments are meant to be is
to you.
Speaker 8 (35:27):
Know, sort of put out there or devil's advocate. What
might be some issues in the opposition Number one, I
am fully supportive of it. But one issue, maybe you
talked about it earlier.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
But what Chris, we've done. We've done five minutes, Chris
have done five.
Speaker 5 (35:45):
What is a penalty? That's all I wanted to know
for this.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
It could be between I think up to five hundred
dollars on a first offense and up to one thousand
on a second. But the police don't determine the penalty
that a judge of court would.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Yeah, fair enough, all right, thanks Chris, I got to run.
You had to listen earlier, Okay, thank you very much.
Thank you real quick. Darryl in New Brunswick. Darryl, I'm
killed on time.
Speaker 11 (36:08):
Here go right ahead, Hey, Dan represented wells a great
bill to put forward. It's you're talking about first Amendment.
So therefore people in the all the different emergency services
fields have to good have good hearing. So therefore your
bill would go forward. Two vehicles would be equivalent to
(36:31):
twenty five feet. So if people cannot comprehend that one
being a police officer in Edmonton when you're doing crowd control,
I got stabbed multiple times and nobody came forward to
help him. So therefore this would assist other officers and
other emergency service people to outch the act and be
(36:53):
in the right all.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Right, we got that, Darrel. Appreciate the information. Always good
to talk with you. Thank you much. Richie, it was
great to talk with you tonight. Thanks for sticking around.
Please say he to Pauline for me.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
I want one final problem. I do want to say
going into the State House is a police officer. I
am beyond humble the number of reps and colleagues that
have come to me. I didn't go there to do
police any things. I don't even thought of filing this bill,
but the ones that have asked me so many questions
about police you only went through police reform prior to
me getting there for a post state. Now I'm really
(37:30):
I'm so grateful to how much help and how many
questions and how much trust placed into me as a
former police officer, just asking me questions about issues in
the common wealth, and that gives me hope and that
we may be able to pass the Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
Well, I appreciate anything that I can do. Please let
the other representative know there'll be more than happy to
have you back.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Okay, thank you much, Dan, thank you.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
This is one that I'd be proud to have your
name on it. Thank you so much. All right, when
we get back, thanks Richard. When we get back, we're
going to talk about a Supreme Court decision today that
has basically stripped Venzuelan's of their temporary protected status here
in this country. We will talk about that right after
the news at ten o'clock.
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