Liberal Boston pols vote down funding elite police unit amid rising crime, leaving commissioner 'dumbfounded'

Stall in funding comes as crime is 'out of control,' Boston police understaffed

Brianna Herlihy / Fox News

 

Funding for the Boston Police Department's investigative unit is stalled after Democrats voted down the roughly $3.4 million in new funding as crime in the city surges.

Last week, half of the city's council members voted against funding the Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC) – opposing the city's progressive Democrat mayor, Michelle Wu, who flipped her position to supporting the funding.

BRIC serves Boston and surrounding regions to reduce crime and prevent acts of terrorism. The opposing council members cited concerns with BRIC's gang database, which the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently claimed unfairly targeted Black and Hispanic youth, prompting an investigation from the state's attorney general.

But Wu said new leadership at the city’s police department and efforts to clear names that were no longer relevant from its gang database caused her to change her view and support funding for Boston Police Department's investigative arm, according to a report in the Boston Herald. Read more and see video here.