Town Officials Announce Resolution on Pedrini

Post Date: 03/29/2019 3:00 PM

The Restorative Justice process used by the Town of Arlington to address the matter regarding Lieutenant Rick Pedrini has now come to a conclusion. This process provided the best opportunity for our community to heal from the divisive, irresponsible, and unacceptable comments that he published in a law enforcement journal last year. The Town chose to engage Lt. Pedrini in a process known as Restorative Justice, which focuses on the rehabilitation of responsible parties through deep engagement and reconciliation with victims and members of the community. The process was conducted by the Town in partnership with the non-profit Communities for Restorative Justice.



As part of the process, Officer Pedrini participated in a series of meetings over many hours with representatives of the immigrant community, Mystic Valley NAACP, religious community and law enforcement community, as well as municipal officials and Town Meeting Members. In all, he heard comments from more than 100 members of the community in person and in writing.

Lt. Pedrini, who was placed on administrative leave following the publication of his offending comments, will be allowed to return to work having met the expectations of the Restorative Justice process, including demonstrating remorse. As part of his restorative agreement he will be required to undertake a number of additional restorative steps, including a written public apology, and be subjected to certain punitive actions (which cannot be disclosed publicly for legally mandated reasons of employee privacy). He will return to work under the supervision of Acting Police Chief Juliann Flaherty, who will be responsible for enforcing the terms of Lt. Pedrini’s return.



Lt. Pedrini was offered the Restorative Justice process because he expressed remorse for, and acknowledged the harm created by, his comments, and because those comments did not reflect his record and performance as a police officer. It is important to note that the traditional labor arbitration and litigation process is inherently uncertain and presents little opportunity for community healing. Through the Restorative Justice process the Town was able to guide an outcome and promote a therapeutic dialogue.



The Town of Arlington has no tolerance for the type of employee behavior exhibited by Lt. Pedrini, which is at odds with the progressive programs and policies championed by the Town and Police Department. We believe that this innovative approach to addressing the matter is just, expressive of our abhorrence of such behavior, and useful in advancing the goals of respectfulness and inclusion in our civic life. We are grateful for the support and guidance provided during the process by Communities for Restorative Justice as well as the dedicated community members who brought tremendous perspective and wisdom to the process.



