In 2004, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) established five "homeland security planning regions" to receive funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI).
The Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR) is one of these five homeland security planning regions. MBHSR consists of nine cities in the Massachusetts urban core: Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, and Winthrop. The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) in Boston convenes meetings of a body called the Jurisdictional Points of Contact Committee (JPOC), which consists officers from each jurisdiction. JPOC make plans and allocate money for the MBHSR.
Like other "Homeland Security" initiatives, under cover of "counterterrorism" UASI grants fund projects to further integrate local, state, and federal police forces, along with other agencies such as fire departments and emergency services, and to militarize these forces for the suppression of popular uprisings and for urban warfare. (See separate entry on Department of Homeland Security.)
The Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), which manages Boston's racist "gang database," is one of the central projects of the MBHSR. (See separate entry on BRIC) Other MBHSR projects include the large-scale urban warfare trainings known as "Urban Shield." MBHSR also serves as a conduit for Department of Homeland Security grants to police departments for militarized SWAT teams and for surveillance and communications technology. For example, the JPOC's "FY20 JPOC Final Allocations" included the following: Boston SWAT, $225,000; Brookline SWAT, $50,000; Cambridge SWAT, $50,000; NorthMetro SWAT, $100,000; Somerville SWAT, $50,000; Quincy SWAT, $50,000.
The Office of Emergency Management posts public meeting announcements for the JPOC, but doesn't publish any records of JPOC meeting minutes or other planning activities, and there is no public site listing its membership. Meeting minutes from 2020 obtained by the ACLU through public records requests show the following officers designated as members of the JPOC: Lt. Robert Gillan, Quincy PD; David Carabin, BRIC; Chief Andrew Lipson, Brookline PD; Chief/Ret. Gerald Reardon, Cambridge; Chief Brian Kyes, Chelsea PD; Chief Tony Carli, Everett FD; Chief James Guido, Revere PD; Sgt. Michael Kiely, Somerville PD; and Chief Paul Flanagan, Winthrop FD. Other participants in the meeting include representatives of the OEM, Boston EMS, Boston Fire Department, and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
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Boston is one of nine cities designated as part of the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR). The MBHSR's Jurisdictional Point of Contact Committee (JPOC) makes plans and allocates funds from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for projects aimed at integrating and militarizing police departments, fire departments, and emergency services in the MBHSR. These allocations include funding for communications and surveillance technology and for SWAT teams. The Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), a Department of Homeland Security 'intelligence fusion center' which runs Boston's racist "gang database," is a central project of the MBHSR.
Brookline is one of nine cities designated as part of the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR) and has a representative on the Jurisdictional Point of Contacts Committee (JPOC). The JPOC makes plans and allocates funds from the Department of Homeland Security for projects aimed at integrating and militarizing police departments, fire departments and emergency services in the MBHSR. Allocations include funding for communications and surveillance technology and for SWAT teams. The Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), a Department of Homeland Security intelligence fusion center which runs Boston's racist "gang database," is a central project of the MBHSR.
Cambridge is one of nine cities designated as part of the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR) and has a representative on the Jurisdictional Point of Contacts Committee (JPOC). The JPOC makes plans and allocates funds from US Department of Homeland Security for projects aimed at integrating and militarizing police departments, fire departments, and emergency services in the MBHSR. Allocations include funding for communications and surveillance technology and for SWAT teams. The Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), a Department of Homeland Security intelligence fusion center which runs Boston's racist "gang database," is a central project of the MBHSR.
Chelsea is one of nine cities designated as part of the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR) and has a representative on the Jurisdictional Point of Contacts Committee (JPOC). The JPOC makes plans and allocates funds from the Department of Homeland Security for projects aimed at integrating and militarizing police departments, fire departments, and emergency services in the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR). Allocations include funding for communications and surveillance technology and for SWAT teams. The Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), a Department of Homeland Security intelligence fusion center which runs Boston's racist "gang database," is a central project of the MBHSR.
Everett is one of nine cities designated as part of the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR). The JPOC makes plans and allocates funds from the Department of Homeland Security for projects aimed at integrating and militarizing police departments, fire departments, and emergency services in the MBHSR. Allocations include funding for communications and surveillance technologies and for SWAT teams. The Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), a Department of Homeland Security intelligence fusion center which runs Boston's racist "gang database," is a central project of the MBHSR.
Quincy is one of nine cities designated as part of the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR) and has a representative on MBHSR's Jurisdictional Point of Contacts Committee (JPOC). The JPOC makes plans and allocates funds from the Department of Homeland Security for projects aimed at integrating and militarizing police departments, fire departments, and emergency services in the MBHSR. Allocations include funding for communications and surveillance technology and for SWAT teams. The Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), a Department of Homeland Security intelligence fusion center which runs Boston's racist "gang database," is a central project of the MBHSR.
Revere is one of nine cities designated as part of the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR) and has a representative on the Jurisdictional Point of Contacts Committee (JPOC). The JPOC makes plans and allocates funds from the Department of Homeland Security for projects aimed at integrating and militarizing police departments, fire departments and emergency services in the MBHSR. Allocations include funding for communications and surveillance technology and for SWAT teams. The Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), a Department of Homeland Security intelligence fusion center which runs Boston's racist "gang database," is a central project of the MBHSR.
Somerville is one of nine cities designated as part of the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR) and has a representative on MBHSR's Jurisdictional Point of Contacts Committee (JPOC). The JPOC makes plans and allocates funds from the US Department of Homeland Security for projects aimed at integrating and militarizing police departments, fire departments, and emergency services in the MBHSR. Allocations include funding for communications and surveillance technology and for SWAT teams. The Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), a Department of Homeland Security intelligence fusion center which runs Boston's racist "gang database," is a central project of the MBHSR.
Winthrop is one of nine cities designated as part of the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region (MBHSR). The JPOC makes plans and allocates funds from the Department of Homeland Security for projects aimed at integrating and militarizing police departments, fire departments and emergency services in the MBHSR. Allocations include funding for communications and surveillance technology and for SWAT teams. The Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), a Department of Homeland Security intelligence fusion center which runs Boston's racist "gang database," is a central project of the MBHSR.