Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 2/23/2021
EASTHAMPTON – On Feb. 18, the first of two community listening sessions took place to discuss policing in Easthampton. The session was facilitated by the Mayor’s Pledge to Reimagine Policing Work Group and was hosted and livestreamed by Easthampton Media.
The members of the Mayor’s Pledge Work Group include Facilitator Nicole Hendricks, Rebecca Passa, Margaret Kierstein, Homar Gomez and Alice Wanamaker.
Before beginning the session, Mayor Nicole LaChapelle shared some important words. She informed participants that she took this pledge in June of 2020.
“I took the pledge to make a serious commitment to reimagine policing as we’ve known it – across our country, across our state and in Easthampton,” said LaChapelle.
She acknowledged that there are large broad-scope issues and reform efforts under and around policing, in this “big huge balloon” of what law enforcement looks like.
With this work group, LaChapelle asked members to review the use of force policy of the Easthampton Police Department and seek community input through listening. She claimed that the point of this is to get beyond what is on paper and get to the culture of the community, how they relate to law enforcement and government in general, and also to the business of it.
“This is not an imposition on any one community or any one person or group of what policing looks like in Easthampton, or what engagement with the Police Department means,” stated LaChapelle. Rather, they are looking to reach common ground and humanity of what people want to see and be treated on, from all sides, she added.
“I am a strong believer that all world change for the better starts on Main Street in Easthampton, Massachusetts,” stated the mayor.
The guiding questions for the listening session centered around experiences, feelings and interactions with public safety/police in Easthampton.
Hendricks said, “This isn’t to say that this work and the work of the Mayor’s Pledge Work Group is going to solve all of the community concerns that people have or might have raised this evening. This information is just part of a much larger process that your community is engaging in.”
She went on to say, the main goal of this is to build systems and responses that recognize the humanity and dignity of every person in the community.
In this listening session, people were given the opportunity to share if they chose to, while also listening with compassion. Work group members remained hopeful that everyone would be respectful towards the opinions and experiences of others.
When the floor was given to the community, a few participants voiced their interactions and concerns with the Police Department, in which many claimed they’ve had positive and transparent experiences with Easthampton police. They feel as if the police care for the community and are there for one another.
With the current and ongoing issues involving police, some said they feel as if they need to choose sides and there are good and bad people in all occupations. However, some believed this needs to be addressed and discussed in the town.
Hendricks shared that recently, there were recommendations for revising and looking at the public safety mission statement. Since then, the mission statement has been changed based on this work group. More current and relevant additions have been made.
Following this session, all that was learned will be reported and submitted to the Mayor’s office.
On Feb. 24, a second session to this meeting will take place and focused on visions for the future.
If residents don’t feel comfortable using a public forum, the work group is happy to conduct a non-public forum to hear from folks in town.
“We’d love to hear from many more people,” said Hendricks.
For additional information, email mpwg@easthamptonma.gov.