The new Boston Housing Authority Police Headquarters in Jamaica Plain was previously an underutilized structure used by BHA maintenance staff to store roofing supplies.
Members of the BHA South Street public housing community joined Mayor Michelle Wu, Boston Housing Authority (BHA) Administrator Kenzie Bok, and former Administrator Kate Bennett, on Friday for a ribbon cutting at the new HQ by BHA’s South Street location.
Wu also announced the appointment of Shumeane Benford as chief of the BHA Police Department. Benford currently serves as the Chief of the City’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and will remain in that role until after the 2024 Boston Marathon.
“We’re thrilled to cut the ribbon on a beautiful new home for Boston Housing Authority police to support their continued community partnership,” said Wu.
The BHA Police Department currently consists of nine full-time and part-time sworn officers who supplement the work of the Boston Police Department (BPD) in and around BHA communities.
As part of the FY24 budget, Wu added funding for BHA’s public safety department in the city’s operating budget. With this funding, which was approved by the Boston City Council, five additional officers are currently training in the police academy as the department works to develop an engagement-based strategy for identifying public safety needs across BHA communities, according to a press release. When the additional officers graduate in January, the department will grow by more than 50%.
