NORTHAMPTON — After a month of contentious public discourse over the fate of Northampton Police Department’s so-called “High-Five Friday” program, Chief Jody Kasper and school Superintendent John Provost met this week to discuss a successor program.
The two officials said Friday in a joint prepared statement that they were considering three options:
Establishing a “consistent” liaison between the department and elementary schools;
Developing recreational activities aimed at “creating opportunities for youth engagement;”
Playing host to a forum, or several, for parents and families in the school district to learn about a police department’s role in the community.
For the next two weeks, Kasper and Provost will seek additional input on the options, according to the statement.
“The intent of the new approach is to provide school communities with choices among different engagement opportunities,” the statement also says. “The Northampton Police Department and The Northampton Public Schools share a commitment to trust building and ensuring all students feel safe at school.”
Kasper said by phone Friday evening that conversations are ongoing and still in preliminary stages.
“Everything that’s listed on there is not defined yet,” she said. “We had just our first meeting today where we were brainstorming. We just talked about a whole bunch of concepts and how they might look.”
Kasper added that both she and Provost will report back to their respective staffs to invite input and feedback.
Provost said Friday night, when also reached by phone, that each of the four elementary school principals would consult with colleagues and report back to the superintendent. He said that another meeting date to discuss suggestions with the police chief has not been set.
The concept for High-Five Friday originated in December and consisted of Northampton officers greeting elementary school students with high-fives as they entered their schools. Kasper told the Gazette last month the idea was to create a program that would allow officers to connect with students. High-Five Friday was suspended in mid-February following concerns from the public.
Said concerns, according to a post on the Northampton Police Department’s Facebook page, questioned the effectiveness of the program and indicated there were students who “might respond negatively to a group of uniformed officers at their school,” — particularly students of color and those who are undocumented or may have had negative encounters with law enforcement, according to the post.