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What Cambridge s Public Safety Task Force hopes to accomplish
Maxwell Bevington
Wicked Local
At 5:30 a.m. on a recent rainy Wednesday morning, Councilor Marc McGovern’s doorbell rang. A homeless man was at his doorstep, soaked, and looking for someone to help him find a place to stay. Shelters were at capacity.
McGovern said the only thing he could do is call the police department, but the man said he did not want police involvement and left to find shelter elsewhere. If only there had been another service to call, McGovern said.
This is the sort of situation the new Public Safety Task Force is hoping to address. Appointed Jan. 7 by City Manager Louis DePasquale, the task force has 14 members not including co-chairs McGovern and Councilor E. Denise Simmons who live and work in Cambridge.