The new Northampton Policing Review Commission gives us a very interesting opportunity to rethink the issues of public safety in our city.
The impetus for the formation of this group was the dreadful killings of what seems an endless series of African Americans by white police all over the USA. Fortunately, we have not seen this type of crime in the Valley, but we still need to think about the issue and do our best to be sure that it doesn’t happen here. So let’s start by admitting that it’s possible that even in our liberal and politically correct little town, it’s possible that people of color don’t always feel safe. And public safety is about everyone feeling that Northampton is a safe place to live, to work and to visit.
I had a long career as a retailer in downtown Northampton and as a result have had numerous interactions with the Northampton Police Department; I have always been treated with respect, courtesy and professionalism. But I understand that people who don’t look like me may have had different experiences.
During my career, I have attended more meetings than I can count which centered on the issue of public safety downtown, and so I’d like to offer a retailer’s perspective on this subject. The most important point, and one on which I would hope all can agree, is that our goal is that everyone should feel safe in Northampton. The commission needs to know that many of our customers do not feel safe coming to our downtown to shop or dine.
As our city has reopened during the current pandemic, many people have commented that the large number of people without masks downtown makes them feel unsafe. But the more common complaint is that panhandlers and crowds of loiterers make them feel unsafe. While I have seen aggressive begging on the streets, I must say that most panhandlers are courteous and can easily be ignored. But it must be considered that women, especially those walking alone, have a different experience of this than I do. Restaurateurs and retailers regularly hear reports of people (especially women) who say they won’t come downtown at all because they don’t feel safe here.
Over the years, downtown business people have been very frustrated by this and have often wished that the police would be more present downtown, be more aggressive in keeping panhandlers off the streets, and that city government would come up with an ordinance that would help them. But our city streets are for everyone, and seeing cops with guns makes some people feel unsafe.
What makes people feel safe in public spaces is seeing lots of other people. Unfortunately, the pandemic has kept people away from our downtown. Our local small businesses are now seeing unprecedented challenges; several longtime establishments have closed, and more will close before this is over.
In rethinking the role of police in public safety, it has been suggested that professionals other than police might take on some of the duties now being assigned to police. Thus if there are troubled people on the streets downtown, a social worker trained in deescalating tensions and dealing with mental illness would probably do better than a policeman with a gun in handling the problem.
There has also been talk in the business community about having some kind of ambassadors on the street who could give directions, answer questions and maybe pass out promotional materials to potential customers.
If such social workers and business ambassadors were present and in some kind of identifiable uniform, it could help everyone feel safe downtown. It would be important to have good training and communication between them and the police in the event that a situation could not be deescalated.
I know that a focus of the commission will be on the relationship between the police and people who live on the margins of society, but I hope that it will not lose sight of the need of ordinary people to go about their daily business in town in an atmosphere of order and safety. Both crime and other forms of anti-social behavior will continue to occur whatever the commission does, and the police will continue to be an indispensable part of our public safety system. But I’m hopeful that we can come up with ways to deal with some of the problems without the intimidation and potential for tragedy that go along with traditional policing.
Joe Blumenthal, the founder and longtime owner of Downtown Sounds (now a worker-owned cooperative), lives in Northampton.