Newton Police Ass'n v. Police Chief

The Newton Police Association (association), representing the police officers of the Newton police department, brought this action for declaratory relief in Superior Court, asking that the court declare invalid an order issued by the police chief of Newton directing officers assigned to traffic enforcement duty at designated high accident locations to issue traffic violation citations to traffic offenders, and to cease issuing written warnings. The association’s position is that the order runs afoul of G. L. c. 90C, § 3(A)(1), which, as appearing in St. 1991, c. 138, § 161, reads:

“If a police…