Boston City Council Approves $15.3 Million in Security and Emergency Grants

BOSTON — January 25, 2023 — Boston City Council approves more than $15.3 million in federal and state security grants and advances an elected school committee petition. The council voted unanimously on January 25 to pass three grants: $13,520,000 through the federal Urban Area Security Initiative for counter-terrorism planning and training, $1,169,623 for the Boston-Providence Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Project, and $567,000 to equip 564 police cruisers with an electronic citation system — all recommended by Councilor Michael Flaherty's Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice following a hearing with city emergency management and police officials. The council separately advanced Docket 0135, a home-rule petition by Councilors Ricardo Arroyo and Julia M. Mejia to convert the Boston School Committee from an appointed to an elected body, keeping it in committee with a target full council vote set for February 15. More than 20 new hearing orders were introduced covering school mental health, restorative justice, LGBTQ student well-being, housing code enforcement, and the displacement of between 400 and 1,100 musicians from 95 rehearsal studios at 50 Terminal Street in Charlestown — the most concrete new local issue to emerge from an agenda-dense session.