City Council tables Greenfield Police Station upgrade request
Greenfield’s City Council had a late night on Wednesday as it deliberated the mayor’s fiscal year 2022 capital budget, leaving the Police Department and its request for $1.35 million for repairs and upgrades to the station on High Street, pictured, waiting until at least mid-May before the chief knows how to proceed. STAFF FILE PHOTO/DAN LITTLE
Greenfield Police Chief Robert Haigh Jr. in his office at the Police Station on High Street. Staff File Photo/Paul Franz
Published: 4/22/2021 4:56:21 PM
GREENFIELD City Council had a late night on Wednesday as it deliberated the mayor’s fiscal year 2022 capital budget, leaving the Police Department and its request for $1.35 million for repairs and upgrades to the station waiting until at least mid-May before the chief knows how to proceed.
Strong objection
Published: 4/20/2021 10:59:53 AM
I am writing to express my strong objection to the proposed FY2022 Capital Budget Appropriation of $1,350,000 for the Police Station Update and Reconfiguration, being voted on by the City Council this month.
In his request, Police Chief Haigh provides very little detail about what the actual needs at the police station are, how they pose safety risks to the people who work there, and how they begin to add up to this sum. This lack of transparency, and frankly effort toward making the case as to why the funds are needed, is deeply disturbing.
How can the councilors, and the public, approve this huge expenditure when it’s unclear what it is for? We must insist that he provide a detailed plan so we can make an informed choice about how we’re spending our money and what we’re going into debt for.
Redirect community resources to improve people’s lives
Published: 3/4/2021 4:41:42 PM
We write to express our dissatisfaction with the Community Policing Forum held Feb. 23 by the city of Greenfield and streamed live on GCTV, and our frustration with the Recorder’s subsequent reporting on that event.
We are residents who care deeply about our community and have serious concerns about the use of policing to deal with the fallout from poverty, homelessness, addiction and mental health crises in our town. Policing will not solve these problems.
We question why our town continues funding the Greenfield Police Department at the expense of education, housing, mental health care, and other basic survival requirements that urgently need to be met. We are also very concerned about active members of the police force who have caused harm in our community and who have not been held accountable. None of these concerns were addressed in the forum, despite the many questions we submitt