Midnight police shift makes history in Northampton
From left, Officer Ariangna Gonzalez, Officer Jessica Sullivan, Officer Rachel Bunce, Officer Heather Longley, and Officer Lauren Bolduc of the Northampton Police Department. NORTHAMPTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
Published: 6/29/2021 8:23:06 PM
NORTHAMPTON The Police Department marked an historic milestone last week as it works to hire more female officers.
From 11 p.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Friday, a patrol shift was composed of all women for the first time in the city’s history.
The Police Department said Officer Ariangna Gonzalez, Officer Jessica Sullivan, Officer Rachel Bunce, Officer Heather Longley, and Officer Lauren Bolduc worked the midnight shift that night.
‘We’re watching people walk out the door’: Six Northampton police officers have resigned since funding cuts
Updated Mar 24, 2021;
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The resignation of an officer from the Northampton Police Department last week reflects a broader morale problem in a department that has seen nearly 10 officers either laid off or resigned after massive budget cuts were made to the agency over the summer, according to city officials.
The number of officers in the department went from 65 to 60 following a vote from the Northampton City Council in June to cut nearly $$883,000 from the agency’s fiscal 2021 operational budget in the wake of calls for changes to the traditional public safety model in the U.S. and a defunding of law enforcement.