I believe that our public safety departments should serve everyone and everyone should feel safe accessing their services. Together with Mayor David Narkewicz, we created and appointed the Northampton Policing Review Commission. I support the commission’s call for a new Department of Community Care, so that the most appropriate response will meet each call for help. The funding included in Mayor Narkewicz’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget, and the state money State Senator Jo Comerford has secured for this purpose will allow us to move forward with the creation of the department. In subsequent budgets, if I am your mayor, I will propose the resources necessary for the operation of the department, so that it can effectively and responsibly provide the critical, unarmed services for which it will be created. 

It is vital that the new department is created in coordination with the other emergency service departments to ensure a safe transfer of services, and the proper channeling of emergency calls. As the Northampton Policing Review Commission recognized, there are many functions that the Northampton Police Department should continue to be responsible for as they serve our community in public safety, along with Fire/Rescue, and the Public Safety Communications Center (also known as Dispatch). 

The Northampton Policing Review Commission’s report “Reimagining Safety'' states the Department of Community Care “can also work with other emergency response departments and provide support through partnerships and develop new programs to support existing services.” I believe that the work we are doing to reimagine public safety is critical, and as we create this new response system we need to work together to build a comprehensive public safety program that meets all needs safely, effectively and compassionately.