Public safety, particularly the funding and operational requirements of Crest, emerged as a dominant theme. Deborah Ferrer, a resident and co-chair of the Community Safety and Social Justice Committee, advocated for Crest, criticizing the town’s decision to freeze two positions within the department. She highlighted the stark disparity between Crest’s staffing, starting with only eight responders, and the Amherst Police Department’s 47 officers. Ferrer argued that the insufficient number of responders at Crest hampers its ability to effectively manage incidents during evenings and weekends. She emphasized the necessity for an assistant director to support the current director and criticized the town for allocating only 2.7% of dispatched calls to Crest. Ferrer accused the town of undermining Crest by not fully funding it, stating, “Our residents need Crest,” and warned that the community is closely monitoring the situation.

Anna Derby, another resident and committee member, echoed Ferrer’s sentiments, sharing her perspective as a parent of two Black boys. Derby underscored the importance of Crest as an entity providing non-police responses to incidents that do not require armed intervention. She articulated the emotional impact of recent police violence and stressed the necessity of fulfilling commitments made in response to such incidents. Derby pointed out the original recommendations from the LEAP report, which called for adequate staffing and operational hours for Crest, lamenting that these have yet to be realized.

The conversation then shifted to the Amherst Fire Department’s staffing levels, with the fire chief presenting a proposal to increase personnel based on call volume data. He emphasized that current staffing levels are insufficient, particularly given recent statistics indicating numerous instances where only one or two firefighters responded to fires. The chief outlined a plan to gradually increase staffing, proposing an initial target of ten firefighters on duty at all times. This would allow for full staffing of three ambulances and a four-person fire truck. The chief highlighted that the department’s current operations with three ambulances do not meet national standards, given the town’s annual call volume of approximately 5,000 ambulance calls. The proposal represents the most significant change in the department’s staffing in the last 30 years.

Funding for these staffing increases would primarily come from the ambulance receipts fund, which collects revenue from ambulance billing. The fund is considered a sustainable source of revenue due to its direct correlation with the volume of ambulance services provided to the community. Additionally, recent increases in funding from partnerships with UMass and Amherst College have bolstered the fund’s growth, contributing to the feasibility of the staffing proposal.

Further discussions centered on the challenges faced by the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the fire departments, particularly concerning the volume and nature of calls. The committee examined statistics related to lift assist refusals, a considerable portion of EMS calls, which often arise from the aging population in congregate living situations. The committee noted that these calls consume resources but do not result in direct compensation, especially from non-taxpaying entities like assisted living facilities.

The meeting also delved into the role and challenges faced by Crest and the Police Department. The Chief of Police reported an increase of about 2,000 calls for service in the past fiscal year, bringing the total to just under 20,000 calls. Staffing challenges were highlighted, with the department currently operating with 40 officers, three frozen positions, and two officers in training. The chief emphasized the department’s struggle to maintain operational effectiveness due to level funding over two decades, compounded by inflation.

The chief highlighted that many quality-of-life issues in Amherst are off-campus and primarily involve the student population, despite the university’s larger police force.

Finally, the meeting addressed concerns about police salaries and compensation structures. Officers’ base salaries, supplemented by educational incentives and stipends, contribute to overall gross wage figures, which may appear inflated due to detail payments not funded by town sources. The committee discussed the impact of detail work on officer burnout and town budgets, with an emphasis on ensuring transparency in compensation reports.