Cambridge Police Await Committee Report on Skip Gates Arrest

The Cambridge Police Department continues to await an independent committee report intended to offer "lessons learned" for the city in the aftermath of the controversial arrest of Professor Henry Louis "Skip" Gates, Jr. and subsequent allegations of racial bias.

Formed last September, the Cambridge Review Committee was tasked with preparing a set of recommendations that would address the issues that arose from Gates' July 16 arrest, which had sparked accusations against the CPD of racial bias.

In a March 1 “progress report,” the committee stated that final recommendations would be released in late spring, and the Cambridge Chronicle reported last week that the recommendations would be submitted to the city this week.

But no release date has been set for the report, according to Committee member Aaron D. Miller. CPD spokesman Daniel M. Riviello similarly stated that the CPD did not know of a set deadline for the report, and added that Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas has not reviewed the final report, nor has it been submitted to the department.

John Kosko, a retired school administrator and member of the committee, said he did not know when the report will be made publicly available, but added that the committee had “absolutely” fulfilled its mission.

“I think the committee did its best to address the concerns that were raised and the charge it was given by the commissioner and the city manager,” he said.

Other committee members and a spokeswoman for the city manager’s office could not be reached for comment.

While the recommendations of Cambridge Review Committee—a group of 12 members hailing from various distinguished backgrounds—are unknown, the March progress report issued by the committee said that it has “focused on topics such as police authority, conflict intervention, the role of the community to work with their neighbors and the police to ensure their own public safety, as well as strengthening a sense of trust between law enforcement and the residents of Cambridge.”

The progress report made no explicit mention of addressing racial bias, an accusation lobbed at the CPD in the aftermath of Gates' arrest. Kosko said that addressing racial prejudice was not “one of the issues the committee was charged with” but added that it was a "byproduct of the response to the incident.”

Meanwhile, a New England Center for Investigative Reporting analysis found that the racial breakdown of those arrested for disorderly conduct mirrored the racial composition of Cambridge, The Boston Globe reported today. The CPD also released the summary of an analysis it conducted with regard to disorderly conduct arrests, which said that black and white offenders faced similar arrest rates regardless of the arresting officer’s race.

Returning from China last July, Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct at his home when passer-by Lucia Whalen called police to report a possible break-in. A police report said that Gates was exhibiting “tumultuous behavior” and accusing the police officer, Sgt. James Crowley, of prejudice, while an account of the events written on behalf of Gates in the African-American culture magazine “The Root” said he was arrested after following Crowley outside and asking for his name and badge number.

Gates’ colleagues at Harvard sharply chided the actions of Crowley, citing racial profiling in Gates’ arrest. Evelyn B. Higginbotham, chair of the Department of African and African American Studies, wrote in an open letter that “to be black in America brings painful situations such as what you are now experiencing.” Mass. Governor Deval L. Patrick ’78 called the arrest “troubling.”

On July 21, charges were dropped against Gates, but a day later, the incident reached its pinnacle of media attention when President Barack Obama said the Cambridge Police Department “acted stupidly,” adding that racial profiling remained a fact of life for minorities in America. He later distanced himself from his comments, saying that he blundered in his “choice of words,” and invited Crowley and Gates to the White House for conversation and beer.

—Staff writer Naveen N. Srivatsa can be reached at srivatsa@fas.harvard.edu.