The Cambridge Police Department will reduce its inventory of long guns and less-than-lethal weapons and will retire officers’ camouflage uniforms, the department announced Tuesday.
The department’s move comes after a turbulent summer for law enforcement and calls by Cambridge residents to demilitarize the city’s police force. Last July, CPD publicized its inventory of department equipment, which includes an armored Lenco BearCat vehicle, sniper rifles, 64 M4 assault rifles, and tear gas, which has since been destroyed. At the time, several City Councilors said they were concerned by the weapons in CPD’s inventory.
CPD’s inventory also contradicted a previous statement by Cambridge police commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr., who had claimed in June CPD possessed “no” military equipment.
