AMHERST — A near doubling of the current staffing for the unarmed community responders, who serve as an alternative to Amherst police, is being sought by the Community Safety and Social Justice Committee.
With preparations for the fiscal year 2027 budget underway, with Town Manager Paul Bockelman expected to present his spending plan to the Town Council on May 1, the panel is advocating that the Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service be staffed to 10 community responders, up from the six current responders, and that both a full-time director and assistant director remain part of the team.
The committee recently agreed to send a letter to Bockelman with an explanation for its requests, backing up the expansion of the department with evidence from similar programs across the country that they can save the community money and be cost-effective investments.
Committee member Everald Henry said in addition to being a wise investment and showing townspeople a commitment, the letter will observe that this is not about cutting police positions.
“Like you, we have heard arguments that this is an attempt to defund the police. This is not that,” the letter reads.
CRESS responders began taking dispatch calls earlier this year, and a sixth position was recently filled after being vacant. But there is uncertainty about the future of the program manager, a position that is only funded until July 1, even though that position is responsible for seeking grants and to bring more awareness in the community about the program.
Debora Ferreira, who co-chairs the committee, said cutting police was a recommendation from the Community Safety Working Group, which formed after the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Ferreira said CRESS also needs a fully-funded assistant director position. “We’re going to continue to fight for that,” Ferreira said.
The demands for CRESS have been demonstrated, said committee member Lissette Paredes, referencing a recent incident.
“I think it’s extremely important to advocate for expansion of hours so CRESS can function and do the social services and community policing that we need,” Paredes said.
Committee member Erica Piedade said increasing CRESS staffing and having the responders available for more hours shouldn’t be seen as diminishing other public safety departments.
“We need to more equitably reallocate resources,” Piedade said.
Dan Garcia, who started earlier this year as the CRESS program manager, said the department likely needs a minimum of 12 responders, with six teams to cover morning and evening shifts, to expand hours beyond 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Garcia said he is doing outreach to the college students in town so they better understand how CRESS can serve the larger community.
He also pointed to the importance of funneling grants to support the work of Craig’s Doors: A Home Association, Inc., which operates the town’s homeless shelter, and the Morning Movement and Mentoring Program for high school and middle school students.
Marketing CRESS is also being done, Garcia said, understanding that there is an intrinsic fear of police in segments of the community and that CRESS can go to nonviolent situations that could develop into more serious problems.