Northampton to Train Civilian Emergency Response Teams
The Massachusetts city will shift some response protocols away from the police to a clinically trained civilian response team that will not carry firearms. The city will spend more than $400,000 on the new department.
May 18, 2021 • (TNS) The city of Northampton is making moves on a historic new municipal department proposed earlier this month that aims to shift some responsibilities away from police by hiring clinically trained civilians to respond to certain emergencies without firearms.
Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz on Monday unveiled the first draft of his fiscal year 2022 budget, which calls for $423,955 for the proposed Department of Community Care. The entire FY operational budget calls for $121,705,839, marking a 4.82 percent increase from last year’s budget.
Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz proposes more than $400K for historic new department of unarmed emergency responders in newly unveiled FY 2022 budget masslive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from masslive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Northampton police review panel submits initial report
Northampton Police Station GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
Published: 1/11/2021 8:06:33 PM
NORTHAMPTON If your sibling was being evicted from their apartment, how would you want them to be helped?
Daniel Cannity, chairman of the Northampton Policing Review Commission, posed the question to the City Council on Thursday evening.
“By a police officer or by a caseworker who can assist them with obtaining alternate housing?” he said, noting that he was quoting commission member Booker Bush. “If a community has nothing else to offer, the police become the answer.”
Cannity was presenting the commission’s 29-page preliminary report, which details the work that its subcommittees Alternatives to Policing, Policies and Services, and Spending and Contracts has done so far to study the Northampton Police Department and recommend reforms.