To: Lexington Select Board

From: Lexington Residents Reimagining Public Safety (LRRPS)

Re: Select Board Statement on Fatal Police Officer-Involved Incident

Date: February 15, 2022

Dear members of the Lexington Select Board,

While we appreciate the sentiments of condolence, hope for healing, and concern for well-being and safety expressed in the Select Board’s statement of February 14, 2022, we believe there is more that must be said and done by Town leaders, including the Police Chief, to address the tragic fact that a Lexington resident was killed by police on Saturday. The shooting raises a range of thoughts and feelings within the community, including anxiety, fear, and mistrust. The added dimension of the deceased man’s living situation at a group home servicing adults with mental health challenges makes this incident especially upsetting for Lexington residents managing and/or caring for those with mental illness, brain injury, and other neurodivergent profiles.

We call on Town leaders and the Police Chief to communicate as clearly and transparently as possible in these early days following the incident, recognizing the limits of communication during an open investigation by the Middlesex District Attorney’s office. This is an opportunity for the Select Board to demonstrate leadership in communicating with the community.

LRRPS is committed to collaborating with Town staff and leaders to reimagine how Public Safety might look and operate in Lexington. This weekend’s fatal shooting tragically reinforces for us the need to expand the discussion, including the consideration of emerging best practices for addressing public safety crises related to mental health issues.

Sincerely,

Sarah Higginbotham

Valerie Overton

Alexis Porras

Tom Shiple

Lexington Residents Reimagining Public Safety (LRRPS)