Enthusiasm For Implementation of Alternative Responders Program Evident At Community Forums

The 30 members of the public who showed up at two public forums on Amherst’s new Community Responders For Equity, Safety and Service program (CRESS) were effusive in their praise for the program and the rapid progress made by the implementation team trying to launch CRESS into full-time operation. The forums were held on Thursday, January 20 and Saturday, January 22 over Zoom and were run by the CRESS implementation team. That team consists of Assistant Director of Equity and Inclusion Jennifer Moyston, who also chaired the forums; former members of the Community Safety Working Group (CSWG) Brianna Owen, Russ Vernon-Jones, and Town Councilor Ellisha Walker (at-large); Police Chief Scott Livingstone; Fire Chief Tim Nelson; Captain of Amherst Police Operations Gabe Ting; and Emergency Dispatch Supervisor Mike Curtin. 

Some members of the Amherst Police Department (APD) were present at the forum on 1/20,  but none were at the forum on 1/22. The agenda consisted of a PowerPoint presentation that outlined the work that has been completed and the work that remains to be done in order to launch CRESS. That presentation can be viewed here.

The Update
CRESS will be an alternative safety department within Amherst’s Town Operations, serving as an unarmed civilian alternative to calls that might otherwise have required a response from the APD, and was created to provide alternative community safety services in situations that do not involve violence or serious crime. It aims to ensure that all public safety responses are anti-racist, equitable, just, and fair. It also aims to offer preventative services that assist members of the community so as to avoid needing public safety services in the first place. 

Initially, CRESS will be staffed by a full-time director and an assistant director, eight full-time community responders, a temporary full-time project manager, and a temporary full-time transitional assistance coordinator. The town is in the process of filling these positions;  the implementation team hopes the director and transitional assistance coordinator will be hired by the end of February and community responders will be hired after that. For more details on the CRESS program and its origins, look here and here.

The implementation team wants  community responders to work in teams of two, with one member having expertise in clinical mental health and the other in mediation and de-escalation. The town will seek responders with a broad range of experiences,  including homelessness and substance abuse, as well as expertise. Responders will receive training in: de-escalation and mediation, local service agencies, communications equipment, record keeping systems, town bylaws, identifying when to call EMT’s or the APD, first aid and CPR, equity awareness and social justice considerations. The initial training program is expected to take eight weeks. Additional trainings will be ongoing. 

 CRESS will “go live” full-time once training of eight responders is complete.Coverage will be available 24/7, with a team on duty at all times of the day or night except for 1 a.m. to 9 a.m, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, when a team will be on call and will respond in person if needed. This is the period of the week when dispatch receives the fewest calls. CRESS will be accessible through the town public safety dispatch, by calling 911, by calling a dedicated CRESS phone number, or by walking into the CRESS office. Dispatch will be trained in deciding whether  to refer people to CRESS or APD, and the two will stand ready to assist each other. Protocols for doing so are being worked out.

Public Questions And Comment (from the 1/22 meeting)
All speakers expressed support for the CRESS program, and gratitude to the implementation team and the CSWG for the progress made toward kicking off the program.

Nancy Gilbert (chair of the board of health) expressed her desire for the health department and the board of health to work closely with CRESS, and to consider  having a dedicated community health worker in a liaison role.

Judy Glaser asked about the status of the implementation team and observed that there is currently no way to connect with the team on the town website. How do we keep tabs on what you are doing, she asked.  (Moyston later reported that as a town department, CRESS will have its own page on the town website, perhaps  as soon as next week. That should make it easier for the public to track the program’s implementation, offer feedback, and pose questions to the team).

Russ Vernon-Jones thanked Glaser for being the first person to bring the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) national report to the attention of the CSWG. Read LEAP’s final report on CRESS here.

Martha Hanner, representing the League of Women Voters Amherst’s racial justice committee, was impressed with how far the project has come in such a short time. 

She requested more publicity and tracking on the town website about the work of the implementation team, and asked that the PowerPoint presentation be posted there.

Vernon-Jones reported that the implementation team is still working on job descriptions for the community responders and is talking with a similar program in Dayton, Ohio, that has had a promising response to job postings, with excellent applicants. Vernon-Jones asked the public to reach out to people who might do the work of responders and encourage them to apply.

Birdy (last name not given) asked about prospective affiliation with other agencies. Glaser said there used to be someone in town who was responsible for pulling together a directory of helping agencies in town. Mike Curtin said that the APD maintains such a list. 

Martha Hanner asked about funding prospects looking down the road. Vernon-Jones responded that the team’s understanding is that the town has made a commitment to continue to fund the eight responders, a director, and an administrative assistant. What doesn’t seem to have been determined yet  is funding for further expansion of the program.

Brianna Owen concluded the forum  by reminding people that public feedback on this program is really important and  asked the public to continue. This was echoed by other members of the implementation team.