NORTHAMPTON — The third and final public hearing for the city’s Policing Review Commission will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. on Zoom.
“The commission and its subcommittees have held over 55 public meetings, including 2 public hearings. We are actively seeking public participation in our meetings to understand residents and neighbors concerns and hopes for public safety,” a message about the hearing from the commission’s co-chair, Dan Cannity, reads.
The meeting is scheduled for a Saturday in hopes it will increase participation, Cannity wrote in an email. “Early on in the process, we were aware of how hard weeknight evening meetings can be to make for many folks. It might be after a long day at work, or during bedtimes for children, after check in hours for those who are making use of shelter services, or for many other reasons. So part of our plan and attempts to hear from a wide range of people has always been to have a weekend date for one of the public hearings.”
Mayor David Narkewicz and the City Council created the 15-member panel last summer after many called for the city to cut the police department’s budget in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year. The commission is reviewing the police department and plans to present a finalized report to City Council on March 18 that includes recommendations on changes to policing and public safety.
Anyone who cannot make the meeting but wants to comment, can do so through an online form on the city’s website.
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com.