With the state budget revenues running behind budget, one can understand Governor Charles Baker’s veto of an earmark of Sen. Sal DiDomenico’s request for $75,000 to buy laptops to put into Everett police cruisers.
Presently, Everett is one of a the few Massachusetts communities that does not have this technology available to their police officers when they stop a car for a motor vehicle infraction. Without being able to check the plate registration quickly, our police officers are in possible harm’s way that could be easily avoided with the laptop. The police officer is literally blind as he approaches the car as to whether the motorist could be a violent criminal or just an ordinary citizen.
We congratulate Mayor Carlo DeMaria and the City Council for recognizing that this lack of technology is a serious breach in the Everett Police efforts to fight crime and to keep our police officers and community safe.
We thank Sen. DiDomenico for trying to get the state funds for this program. We realize that DiDomenico will try to still gain the state funds but there is no guarantee that he will be anymore successful in the future.
Unlike many Massachusetts communities, Everett officials being able to take $75,000 out of free cash to buy these laptops is a testament to how well DiMaria and City Councilors watch the spending of taxpayer dollars.
To have a police officer lose his life over not being able to fund a $75,000 expenditure would be a travesty. Fortunately, the extra funds are there to prevent a possibly tragedy.